Inorganic arsenic trioxide induces gap junction loss in association with the downregulation of connexin43 and E-cadherin in rat hepatic "stem-like" cells.

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic trioxide causes tumors of the skin, urinary bladder, lung, and liver. Several cancer initiators and promoters have been shown to alter cell-cell signaling by interference with gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) and/or modulation of cell adhesion molecules, such as connexin43 (Cx43), E-cadherin, and β-catenin. The aim of this study was to determine whether the disruption of cell-cell interactions occurs in liver epithelial cells after exposure to arsenic trioxide.

Effects of cultured human adipose-derived stem cells transplantation on rabbit cornea regeneration after alkaline chemical burn.

Ocular chemical burn is a severe injury with poor outcomes. Immediate and appropriate management is highly related to prognosis. We studied the effect of cultured human adipose tissue-derived stem cells on the regeneration of the rabbit cornea after alkaline chemical burn, using used human adipose tissue-derived stem cells as the source material.

Childhood blood lead levels and intellectual development after ban of leaded gasoline in Taiwan: a 9-year prospective study.

Background: Lead (Pb) exposure is associated with children's neurodevelopment, even at low doses. Leaded gasoline was banned in Taiwan in 2000 to reduce environmental exposure to Pb.

Objectives: To evaluate the neurodevelopmental effect of low-level Pb exposure in young children.

Inhibition of gap junctional Intercellular communication in WB-F344 rat liver epithelial cells by triphenyltin chloride through MAPK and PI3-kinase pathways.

Background: Organotin compounds (OTCs) have been widely used as stabilizers in the production of plastic, agricultural pesticides, antifoulant plaints and wood preservation. The toxicity of triphenyltin (TPT) compounds was known for their embryotoxic, neurotoxic, genotoxic and immunotoxic effects in mammals. The carcinogenicity of TPT was not well understood and few studies had discussed the effects of OTCs on gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) of cells.

Low-level laser irradiation promotes cell proliferation and mRNA expression of type I collagen and decorin in porcine Achilles tendon fibroblasts in vitro.

Achilles tendon problems are commonly encountered in sports medicine and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is widely used in rehabilitative applications to decrease pain, reduce inflammatory processes, and promote tissue healing. This study examined the effects on the proliferation of porcine Achilles tendon fibroblasts and gene expression, using different doses of low-level laser irradiation (LLLI). Four groups of identically cultured fibroblasts were exposed to LLLI and harvested after 24 h.

Determination of urinary lead, cadmium and nickel in steel production workers.

The determination of toxic metals in urine is an important clinical screening procedure. In this study, the aim of our investigation was to determine the concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Ni in urine samples under routine clinical laboratory conditions. To assess the reliability of these methods, critical factors such as detection limit(s), calibration range(s), cost, accuracy and precision were studied.

Common toxidromes of plant poisonings in Taiwan.

Objective: To describe the toxidromes associated with plant poisonings in Taiwan.

Methods: Retrospective review of acute single-plant exposures with clinical signs and symptoms reported between January 1987 and December 2006 by hospitals to the network of Taiwan Poison Control Centers. Recorded data included demographic data, intent of exposures, exposure routes, clinical findings, and therapeutic strategies.

Epidemiology of organophosphate pesticide poisoning in Taiwan.

Introduction: The nationwide epidemiology of organophosphate pesticide (OP) poisoning has never been reported in detail for Taiwan.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed all human OP exposures reported to Taiwan's Poison Control Centers (PCCs) from July 1985 through December 2006.

Results: There were 4799 OP exposures.

Family, peer and individual factors related to methylenedioxymethamphetamine use in Taiwanese adolescents.

Examination of the correlates of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use is crucial for the development and implementation of effective prevention programs for adolescents. The aim of the present study was therefore to identify the family, peer and individual factors that were related to MDMA use in Taiwanese adolescents. Two hundred adolescents who used MDMA and 200 who did not use MDMA were recruited into the study.

Isolation and characterization of human gastric cell lines with stem cell phenotypes.

Aim: The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro human gastric stem and/or progenitor cell model that may be used to study the mechanism of gastric carcinogenesis induced by Helicobacter pylori infection.

Methods: Human gastric biopsy was minced and digested with collagenase and dispase and cultured in a low-calcium medium (serum-free keratinocyte medium; keratinocyte-SFM) supplemented with N-acetyl-L-cysteine and L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate. Actively proliferating epithelial colonies with sustained growth were isolated and characterized for karyotype and phenotypes related to stem cell characteristics including proliferation and differentiation potential, ability of anchorage-independent growth (AIG), gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) and the expression of Oct-4, a transcription factor previously shown to be expressed in embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells and undifferentiated tumor cells.

Performance characteristics of ELISAs for monitoring ketamine exposure.

Background: Growing misuse of ketamine necessitates the development of high throughput testing approaches. Two commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for ketamine have recently become available and were adapted for this development.

Method: The newly available ketamine ELISA reagents were examined to better understand their cross-reacting, calibration and other performance characteristics.

Determination of urinary trace elements (arsenic, copper, cadmium, manganese, lead, zinc, selenium) in patients with Blackfoot disease.

To determine the relationship of arsenic, copper, cadmium, manganese, lead, zinc and selenium to Blackfoot disease (BFD, a peripheral vascular disorder endemic to areas of Taiwan, which has been linked to arsenic in drinking water) the authors measured the amount of these substances in urine from BFD patients, using atomic absorption spectrometry. Results indicate significantly higher amounts of urinary arsenic, copper, cadmium, manganese, and lead for BFD patients than for normal controls, also significantly lower urinary zinc and selenium.

Accelerated growth and prolonged lifespan of adipose tissue-derived human mesenchymal stem cells in a medium using reduced calcium and antioxidants.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been isolated from bone marrow and other adult tissues and are potentially useful for tissue engineering. Adipose tissue has several clear advantages as a starting material for harvesting stem cells, as it is abundant and relatively easy to procure. However, existing methods to expand adipose-derived MSCs are less than optimal.

Acute poisonings with Breynia officinalis--an outbreak of hepatotoxicity.

Background: In combination with other traditional Chinese medicines, Breynia officinalis, a species of Euphorbiaceae, has long been used to treat contusions, heart failure, venereal diseases, growth retardation, and conjunctivitis. B. officinalis, regarded as a poison, was mistaken for a similar plant, Securinega suffruticosa, and cooked in a soup used for the treatment of muscle soreness, lumbago, and as a tonic in this outbreak.

Simultaneous determination of urinary cadmium, cobalt, lead, and nickel concentrations in steel production workers by differential pulse stripping voltammetry.

Screening for metals in urine is important because toxic levels of these elements are linked to disease. In the current study, the authors used differential pulse stripping voltammetry on a hanging mercury drop electrode for the simultaneous determination of cadmium, cobalt, lead, and nickel in the urine of 63 production and 63 quality control workers in a steel production plant, along with 63 matched normal controls. Urinary sampling is a noninvasive procedure, and in this study participants had good compliance.

Dysfunction of the mitochondrial respiratory chain in the rostral ventrolateral medulla during experimental endotoxemia in the rat.

We investigated the functional changes in the mitochondrial respiratory chain at the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), the medullary origin of sympathetic vasomotor tone, in an experimental model of endotoxemia that mimics systemic inflammatory response syndrome. In Sprague-Dawley rats maintained under propofol anesthesia, intravenous administration of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 30 mg/kg) induced a reduction (Phase I), followed by an augmentation (Phase II) and a secondary decrease (Phase III) in the power density of vasomotor components (0-0.8 Hz) in systemic arterial pressure signals.

Eight cases of acute renal failure from Vipera russelli formosensis venom after administration of antivenom.

The six-valent antivenom from Vipera russelli formosensis in Taiwan has recently become available in Taiwan. Between June 1998 and December 2001 8 Vipera russelli formosensis snakebite victims were treated with antivenom within 24 h of snakebite. Bleeding stopped and coagulopathy improved after antivenom use, and neurotoxic symptoms were mild.

Relationship between blood lead concentrations and learning achievement among primary school children in Taiwan.

Over the past 20 years lead has been proven to exert an influence on the intelligence of children. Especially for children exposed to environmental lead, average blood lead was often lower than the officially recognized intoxication level. Because Kaohsiung is an industrial area in Taiwan and lead exposure is an important environmental issue, we attempted to ascertain the extent to which environmental lead influences the achievement of primary school children.