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Biomedical subjects

D P Lu

Publications and source records attributed to D P Lu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Identification of a novel HLA-DRB1 allele (HLA-DRB1*111902*).

In this paper, we report a new HLA-DRB1 allele identified in a male acute myeloid leukaemia Chinese patient. This sample was initially typed as DRB1*11XX using commercial polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific primers kit. When it was typed using a chip-based sequence-specific oligonucleotide technique, a novel hybridization pattern that does not match any known alleles was observed. Through sequencing, we have identified this allele as a new HLA-DRB1 allele, which was later named HLA-DRB1*111902 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee. The sequence of this new allele differs from DRB1*111901 by one nucleotide (from G to C) at 203nt of exon 2 but does not cause any amino acid substitution.

Alleles↗
PubMed2004

Trophic signals acting via phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase are required for normal pre-implantation mouse embryo development.

The growth and survival of the preimplantation mammalian embryo may be regulated by several autocrine trophic factors that have redundant or overlapping actions. One of the earliest trophic factors to be produced is embryo-derived platelet-activating factor (1-O-alky-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphocholine). The addition of platelet-activating factor to embryo culture media exerted a trophic effect, but structurally related lipids (3-O-alky-2-acetyl-sn-glyceryl-1-phosphocholine, 1-O-alky-sn-glyceryl-3-phosphocholine, octadecyl-phosphocholine) had no effect. Platelet-activating factor induced a pertussis toxin-sensitive [Ca(2+)](i) transient in two-cell embryos that did not occur in platelet-activating factor-receptor null (Pafr-/-) genotype embryos. Fewer Pafr-/- mouse zygotes developed to the blastocyst stage in vitro compared with Pafr+/+ zygotes (P<0.02), those that developed to blastocysts had fewer cells (P<0.001) and more cells with fragmented nuclei (P<0.001). The inhibition of 1-O-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (LY294002 (3 microM and 15 microM) and wortmannin (10 nM and 50 nM)) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of platelet-activating factor-induced [Ca(2+)](i) transients (P<0.001). The two-cell embryo expressed 1-O-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunits p110 alpha, beta, gamma and delta, and regulatory subunits p85 alpha and beta. LY294002 and wortmannin each caused a significant reduction in the proportion of embryos developing to the morula and blastocyst stages in vitro, reduced the number of cells within each blastocyst, and significantly increased the proportion of cells in blastocysts with fragmented nuclei. The results indicate that embryo-derived platelet-activating factor (and other embryotrophic factors) act through its membrane receptor to enhance embryo survival through a 1-O-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent survival pathway.

Androstadienes↗
PubMed2004

Managing acute withdrawal syndrome on patients with heroin and morphine addiction by acupuncture therapy.

Though there are articles and case reports about using acupuncture to detoxify and to break the narcotic addiction, few articles describe in the West about using acupuncture therapy to treat the emergence of acute withdrawal symptom due to heroin, opium, or morphine. Most often the method of treatment are using the methadone or benzodiazepine and phenoziazine drugs this article describes many years of clinical experience with non-drug approach to treat the acute withdrawal symptoms with acupuncture therapy. Unlike the drug approach, which usually has side effects, there is no adverse effect with acupuncture therapy.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed2002

Expression of cytokeratins (CKs) 8, 13 and 18 and their mRNA in epithelial linings of radicular cysts: implication for the same CK profiles as nasal columnar epithelium in squamous epithelial lining.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to specify cytokeratin (CK) patterns in lining epithelia of radicular cysts which are sometime lined with ciliated columnar epithelia as seen in the nasal epithelia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the CK expression in 52 radicular cysts obtained from 32 maxillary and 20 mandibular lesions and investigated CK-mRNA expression using in situ hybridization in 24 maxillary and 13 mandibular cysts and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 24 maxillary cysts. RESULTS: Of the maxillary cysts, 20, 29 and 19 squamous epithelial linings were positive for CK8, CK13 and CK18, respectively; of the mandibular cysts, 10, 20 and 11 linings were positive for these CKs, respectively. The expression patterns of CK18(+)-CK13(-), CK18(+)-CK13(+) and CK18(-)-CK13(+) were observed in 3, 16 and 13 linings of the maxillary cysts and 0, 11 and 9 linings of the mandibular cysts, respectively. In situ hybridization revealed the expression of CK18-mRNA in 9 and 4 linings of 24 maxillary and 13 mandibular cysts examined, respectively. With RT-PCR, we explored that both CK18- and CK13-mRNA were expressed not only in the normal nasal and gingival epithelia but also in the examined maxillary cyst linings although their expression levels differed correlating with the difference in CK staining. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that CK13- and CK18-mRNA are constitutively expressed in columnar and squamous epithelial cells, respectively, and that the variant CK expression patterns with CK18-mRNA expression in maxillary radicular cysts are indicative of the possibility of phenotypic transformation in the cyst linings.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Serum TNFalpha levels in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow transplantation.

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). In this study, serum levels of TNFalpha were assessed by ELISA in 243 sera samples from 40 patients who had undergone allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Serum TNFalpha levels were measured before BMT and at different time points after BMT. The results were correlated with acute GVHD (aGVHD), infection and conditioning regimen. Serum TNFalpha levels were significantly higher in patients with grades II-IV aGVHD than in those with grade 0 or I aGVHD, but there was no clear correlation between serum TNFalpha and severity of aGVHD. Serum TNFalpha levels in infected patients were not statistically different from those in patients without infection. The conditioning regimen did not cause a significant rise in TNFalpha levels. These results indicate that TNFalpha may be useful for the diagnosis of aGVHD and for differentiating between aGVHD and other BMT-related complications, such as infection.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Acupuncture and clinical hypnosis for facial and head and neck pain: a single crossover comparison.

Despite their long histories, acupuncture and hypnosis have only recently been acknowledged as valuable by the medical establishment in the U.S. Few studies have used rigorous prospective measurement to evaluate the individual or relative merits of hypnosis and acupuncture in specific clinical settings. In this study, 25 patients with various head and neck pain were studied. Each had an initial assessment of their pain, as well as of their attitudes and expectations. All patients received acupuncture, followed by a reassessment of their pain. After a washout period they received another assessment of pain before and after hypnosis therapy. Preferences for therapy were sought following the hypnotic intervention. Both acupuncture and hypnosis were effective at relieving pain under these conditions. The average relief in pain reported was 4.2 units on a ten point scale, with hypnosis reducing pain by a mean of 4.8 units, compared to 3.7 for acupuncture (p = 0.26). Patient characteristics appeared to impact the effectiveness of treatment: patients with acute pain benefited most from acupuncture treatment, whereas patients with psychogenic pain were more likely to benefit from hypnosis. Patients with chronic pain had more variation in their results. Patients who received healing suggestions from a tape during a hypnotic trance benefited more than those who received no such suggestion, and acupuncture patients who were needle phobic benefited less than those who were not fearful of needles. This study demonstrates the benefits of well designed studies of the effectiveness of these alternative modalities. More work is needed to help practitioners identify which patients are most likely to benefit from these complementary therapies.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed2001

[Studies on the cell suspension culture of Saussarea medusa in a stirred tank bioreactor].

The cell suspension culture of Saussarea medusa in a 2L aerated and agitated bioreactor with a four-pitch-blade impeller was investigated. The effects of agitation speed, aeration and inoculum size on cell growth and flavonoids production were studied and it was found that cells had optimum growth and flavonoids production when cultivated at 75 r/min, 700-1000 L/min and an inoculum of 4.0-5.0 g/L. A high cell biomass of 13.8 g/L and flavonoids production of 416 mg/L were achieved after 12 days of cultivation. Time course study revealed that flavonoids biosynthesis was growth-associated. The studies on aggregates size distribution in the bioreactor showed that the aggregates break-up caused by hydrodynamic stress might adversely affect cell growth and lead to significant reduction of cell biomass and flavonoids production.

Bioreactors↗
PubMed2000

Characterization and functional significance of calcium transients in the 2-cell mouse embryo induced by an autocrine growth factor.

Growth of preimplantation embryos is influenced by autocrine trophic factors that need to act by the 2-cell stage, but their mode of action is not yet described. This report shows that late zygote and 2-cell stage mouse embryos responded to embryo-derived platelet-activating factor (PAF) with transient increases in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)). [Ca(2+)](i) transients were single global events and were specifically induced by embryo-derived PAF. They were blocked by inhibition of phospholipase C (U 73122) and an inositol trisphosphate (IP(3)) receptor antagonist (xestospongin C), indicating the release of calcium from IP(3)-sensitive intracellular stores. Transients were also inhibited by the absence of calcium from extracellular medium and partially inhibited by treatment with dihydropyridine (nifedipine, 10 micrometer), but not pimozide (an inhibitor of an embryonic T-type calcium channel). (+/-)BAY K8644 (an L-type channel agonist) induced [Ca(2+)](i) transients, yet these were completely inhibited by nifedipine (10 micrometer). The complete inhibition of BAY K8644, but only partial inhibition of PAF by nifedipine shows that L-type channels were only partly responsible for the calcium influx. Depolarization of 2-cell embryos by 50 mm K(+) did not inhibit PAF-induced calcium transients, showing that the influx channels were not voltage-dependent. Depletion of intracellular calcium stores by thapsigargin revealed the presence of store-operated channels. The interdependent requirement for IP(3)-sensitive internal calcium stores and extracellular calcium in the generation of PAF-induced transients may be explained by a requirement for capacitative calcium entry via store-operated channels. A functionally important role for the PAF-induced transients is supported by the observation that inhibition of [Ca(2+)](i) transients by a PAF-antagonist (WEB 2086) or an intracellular calcium chelator (1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis-acetoxymethyl ester; BAPTA-AM) caused marked inhibition of early embryo development. Growth inhibition by BAPTA-AM was relieved by addition of exogenous PAF.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Clinical management of needle-phobia patients requiring acupuncture therapy.

Both acupuncture and hypnosis have their distinct applications in the health profession, but combining acupuncture therapy with hypnosis has rarely been done for the purpose of therapeutic treatment, perhaps because few clinicians have proper training in both disciplines. For needle phobic patients, acupuncture treatment can be a dreadful experience, as multiple needles are usually used. It is stressful for both clinicians and patients when the patients are put in an extremely apprehensive state. Our research for combining both acupuncture and hypnosis has revealed that synergy does exist in both, and that hypnosis does augment the effect of acupuncture, resulting in better treatment outcomes. Since many acupuncture patients who are needle phobic do not return for further treatment even though acupuncture has rendered good therapeutic results for them, stress reduction with hypnosis is, therefore, a welcome complimentary adjunct that would enable them to return for further needed acupuncture treatment if and when the factor of fear of the needle is removed.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1999

Asian Pacific cooperative study of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

The first cooperative study of the Asian Pacific bone marrow transplantation group included 75 patients with early leukemia who received human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling bone marrow transplants and were randomized into granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and control groups. The selected patients were registered from 10 centers in six countries and areas within Asia (Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Malaysia). The incidence of grades II-IV acute graft-vs.-host disease was 22.2%, and the 2-year survival rate was 62.7%. The period of protective isolation (27.1-66.7 days), period of hospitalization (38.6-130.5 days), and medical costs for 4 months (US $10,300-US $80,803) varied considerably. Good cooperation, i.e., low rate of protocol violation or rapid and precise presentation of case reports, was obtained.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗
PubMed1996

Hypnosis and pharmacological sedation for medically compromised patients.

Sedating medically compromised patients (i.e., geriatric patients, patients with cardiac, kidney, or liver diseases, and those with other severe systemic conditions) for dental procedures can increase the risk of adverse events for this group of patients and can also increase the risk of liability for the clinician. The authors treated 17 apprehensive dental patients with a combination technique using hypnosis and sedative drugs. The use of hypnosis reduced the amount of sedative agent required and alleviated patient anxiety. The results indicate that hypnosis effectively allows for a reduction in the sedative dosage and provides successful and comfortable dental treatment.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Augmenting sedation with hypnosis in drug-dependent patients.

The successful use of conscious sedation in patients physically dependent on centrally acting drugs is problematic for the dental anesthesiologist because of the concomitant development of tolerance to standard sedative agents. Dosage requirements necessary to adequately sedate these patients are often higher than recommended and carry an increased risk of drug overdose. The following report summarizes our experience with 18 drug-dependent patients in whom hypnosis was employed in conjunction with a standard sedation regimen. Attempts to complete various dental procedures while employing sedation alone on these patients had previously failed. All patients exhibited highly fearful or phobic behavior toward dental treatment as assessed by the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale. If an intravenous sedative regimen (midazolam or diazepam plus methohexital) was employed, hypnotic induction preceded the administration of the sedative drugs. If an intramuscular sedative regimen was employed (meperidine plus promethazine), the hypnotic induction took place after drug administration. With the combined hypno-sedative approach, treatment outcomes were judged to be good or excellent in 11 of 18 patients. Interestingly, in five of seven patients for whom the treatment outcome was rated poor or fair, the possibility of tolerance or cross-tolerance existed between a drug being abused and the sedative regimen. In contrast, this possibility existed in only 1 of 11 patients with good or excellent treatment outcomes. We conclude that hypnosis can augment the effects of sedation in this patient population. However, it is also important to choose a sedative regimen where tolerance is unlikely to exist.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Safety, efficacy, and acceptance of intramuscular sedation: assessment of 900 dental cases.

Intramuscular (IM) sedation techniques remain the least used by clinicians, possibly because of their limited exposure in the undergraduate and graduate dental curricula. To assess the safety and efficacy of these techniques, the authors conducted a retrospective study of 900 dental cases. A total of 308 patients received ketamine, 356 received a meperidine/promethazine combination, and 236 received midazolam. Results revealed a high safety record, efficacy, and good evaluations from clinicians and patients, in addition to some advantages over other sedation techniques.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Intravenous placental immunoglobulin for treatment of chronic graft versus host disease].

Intravenous placental immunoglobulin (IV Pt IG) was used for the treatment of chronic graft versus host disease (CGVHD) in 30 patients who are refractory to steroid and cyclosporinic A. 15 (50%) patients showed excellent response and 11 (36.66%) good response. The total response rate is 86.66%. The dosage of IV Pt IG was 4 gm/day in adults by intravenous infusion. Effectiveness of IV PtIG was discerned within 2 weeks. The plasma levels of IgG, IgA and IgM were tested before and after IV PtIG treatment. There was no significant statistical difference between the plasma IgG, IgA, IgM levels in pre- and post-treatment period. The efficacy of IV PtIG against CGVHD is therefore ascribed to its pharmacological effect.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Bone marrow transplantation in the People's Republic of China. Chinese Bone Marrow Transplant Registry.

Bone marrow transplantation, both allogeneic and autologous, has been undertaken in People's Republic of China (PRC) since the beginning of 1980s at a steadily increasing rate. Eight BMT units can be regarded as active. Altogether 230 cases of allogeneic- and syngeneic-BMT have been reported to the Chinese BMT Registry (CBMTR) by the end of October 1993. More than 85% of the cases were acute or chronic leukemia. The incidence of acute grade II-IV GVHD was 29.5% in matched sibling BMT. The special problems of BMT in China include decreasing family size, financial difficulties and relatively high incidence of various viral infections. A number of unique approaches to treatment have been tested with benefit including mixed infusion of fetal cells for prophylaxis of acute GVHD and intravenous placental globulin for the treatment of chronic GVHD. Garlic ingredient has been shown to be effective against CMV and has been used in the clinic with encouraging results. The overall outcome of allogeneic and autologous BMT are comparable to those in the other major BMT centers in the world.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗