Marrow donor registry and bone marrow transplantation from unrelated donors in Taiwan: initial experience of the Tzu Chi Taiwan Marrow Donor Registry (TCTMDR).

To evaluate the outcomes of unrelated bone marrow transplantation facilitated by TCTMDR, we focused on 48 marrow transplants performed in Taiwan during the period May 1994 to June 1997. Follow-up of these 48 cases was made up to 30 May 1998. The average length of follow-up was 328 days (range 7-1385 days).

Distribution of HLA gene and haplotype frequencies in Taiwan: a comparative study among Min-nan, Hakka, Aborigines and Mainland Chinese.

A total of 8,497 blood samples were typed for HLA-A, B, DR and DQ. Of these, 7,137 Min-nan, 714 Hakka, 535 Mainland Chinese (152 from North China, 211 from Middle China, and 172 from South China) and 111 Aborigines were randomly selected from Tzu Chi Taiwan Marrow Donor Registry (TCTMDR). Differences in HLA gene and antigen frequencies have been observed between various ethnic groups of the Chinese population in Taiwan.

Characterization of the inhibition of protein phosphatase-1 by DARPP-32 and inhibitor-2.

Phospho-DARPP-32 (where DARPP-32 is dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, Mr 32,000), its homolog, phospho-inhibitor-1, and inhibitor-2 are potent inhibitors (IC50 approximately 1 nM) of the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase-1 (PP1). Our previous studies have indicated that a region encompassing residues 6-11 (RKKIQF) and phospho-Thr-34, of phospho-DARPP-32, interacts with PP1. However, little is known about specific regions of inhibitor-2 that interact with PP1.

Assessment of cardiac sympathetic regulation by respiratory-related arterial pressure variability in the rat.

1. Mechanical ventilation evokes a corresponding arterial pressure variability (APV) which is decreased by beta-adrenoceptor antagonism. Therefore, in this study we set out to determine whether the respiratory-related APV can be used to assess cardiac sympathetic tone.

Expression and Dimerization of Hepatitis C Virus Core Protein in E. coli.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a positive-stranded RNA virus with a genome size of about 9-10 kb. The genome of this virus encodes a polyprotein with a length of over 3000 amino acids. This polyprotein is cleaved by cellular and viral proteases to generate at least 10 viral gene products.

Role of angiotensin II in hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension in rats.

Objective: To investigate the role of angiotensin II in the pathogenesis of hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension in rats.

Materials And Methods: Chronic hyperinsulinemia was achieved by infusing insulin (3 mU/kg per min) subcutaneously by an osmotic minipump for 6 weeks. An angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (fosinopril, 10 mg/kg per day) was added in drinking water and the angiotensin II subtype 1 receptor antagonist losartan (3.

Falls in a psychiatric unit.

The purposes of this descriptive study were to document the prevalence of previously identified risk factors for falls in a group of acutely ill psychiatric patients, to determine if patients who fell differed from nonfallers with respect to risk factors, and to describe the circumstances surrounding falls that occurred on an inpatient unit. All patients admitted to an acute psychiatric unit during a 7-month period were entered into the study (N = 197). Twice a day, nurses who worked on the unit completed a fall-risk factors checklist for each patient.

Hysteroscopic endometrial ablation without endometrial preparation.

Objective: To study the effectiveness of endometrial ablation by hysteroscopic resection without prior medical preparation for the treatment of women with persistent menorrhagia.

Method: From January 1996 to January 1997, a total of 170 women with persistent menorrhagia and/or dysmenorrhea and who underwent hysteroscopic endometrial resection were included in the study. A thorough suction curettage was done before the procedure.

Emergency medical resource use in Taipei city.

Background: It is a worldwide trend to serve emergency patients at emergency department (EDs) staffed by board-certified emergency physicians (EPs). The question arises as to how many EPs are cost effective? This cannot be answered until utilization of emergency resources in the community is explored, so that appropriate plans for efficient ED use, staffing and training of EPs can be made.

Methods: A prospective randomized chart-review study was conducted from August 1, 1995, until May 31, 1996, in the EDs of eight large hospitals in Taipei City.

Nitric oxide synthesis inhibition retards surgical reversal of one-kidney Goldblatt hypertension in rats.

Surgical correction of renal artery stenosis in Goldblatt hypertension rapidly normalizes blood pressure and increases renal function. This study was conducted in 1-kidney, 1 clip (1K1C) Goldblatt hypertensive rats to examine whether the unclipping-induced reversal of blood pressure and renal function is mediated by nitric oxide (NO). The 1K1C rats were prepared and given tap water with or without supplementation of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME).

Renal denervation prevents and reverses hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension in rats.

Experiments were performed to evaluate the role of the renal nerves in hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were made hyperinsulinemic by insulin infusion via osmotic minipumps implanted subcutaneously (3.0 mU/kg per minute for 6 weeks).

Angiotensin receptor blockade blunts hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension in rats.

The study was conducted to examine the effects of the angiotensin subtype 1 and 2 receptor antagonists (losartan and PD123319, respectively) on blood pressure (BP) and renal excretory function in chronic hyperinsulinemia-induced hypertension in rats. Hyperinsulinemia was achieved by insulin infusion (21.5 pmol/kg per minute) via osmotic minipump for 6 weeks.

Transcervical embryoscopic diagnosis of conjoined twins in a ten-week missed abortion.

Embryoscopic diagnosis of conjoined twins presenting with a missed abortion has never been reported. The morphological and pathological examinations, and the exact time of death in the conceptus of a missed abortion are seldom clearly delineated. The newly developed field of embryoscopy has created a new frontier in early embryonic/fetal visualization and is able to confirm the sonographic diagnosis.

A prospective study of bone mineral density change in Taiwan.

In 1989, a cross-sectional study was carried out in Lin-Kou Township, Taiwan, to determine the distribution of bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine of Chinese people. Lumbar spine BMD was measured using dual-photon absorptiometry in 404 healthy volunteers (266 women and 138 men, aged 15 to 83 years). In 1994-1995, 318 of the same volunteers were reexamined for the present study.

HLA polymorphism and probability of finding HLA-matched unrelated marrow donors for Chinese in Taiwan.

Tzu Chi Taiwan Marrow Donor Registry (TCTMDR) was established in 1993 to recruit and HLA-type volunteers who would be willing to donate bone marrow. TCTMDR is currently the largest marrow registry for Chinese in the world, with over 150,000 prospective donors registered as of July 1997. We present here the gene and haplotype frequencies based on 80,353 HLA class I-typed and 18,217 HLA class II-typed healthy Chinese in Taiwan.

Acute effects of nitric oxide blockade with L-NAME on arterial haemodynamics in the rat.

1. We employed the technique of impedance spectral analysis to investigate the role of endogenous nitric oxide (NO) in the regulation of steady and pulsatile haemodynamics in Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY). 2.

Endogenous nitric oxide on arterial hemodynamics: a comparison between normotensive and hypertensive rats.

Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in maintaining a vasodilator tone. In the present study, we compared the effects of NO blockade on the steady and pulsatile components of arterial hemodynamics between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto strain (WKY), 22-26 wk of age. In the first series of experiments, various doses (1-30 mg/kg i.

Functional characterization of caudal hypoglossal neurons by spectral patterns of neuronal discharges in the rat.

This study evaluated the spectral characteristics of neuronal discharges in the caudal hypoglossal nucleus and their physiological relevance in adult, male Sprague Dawley rats which were anaesthetized and maintained with pentobarbital sodium. Based on auto-spectral analysis of extracellular single-neuron activity, three spectral patterns were identified in the spontaneous discharges of hypoglossal neurons. Neurons that exhibited a rhythmic pattern manifested a concentrated peak in the auto-spectrogram that corresponded to the mean discharge rate.

Blunted renal responses to atrial natriuretic peptide and its reversal by unclipping in one-kidney, one clip Goldblatt hypertensive rats.

Objective: To evaluate the hypotensive and renal effects of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in one-kidney, one clip Goldblatt hypertensive rats with and without renal arterial stenosis.

Methods: The one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats were divided into four groups: untreated time control, ANP-infused, unclipped and unclipped plus ANP-infused. The changes in blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate and renal excretory function were determined during intravenous vehicle and ANP infusions while the renal arterial clip was in place or removed acutely.

Nitric Oxide in Systemic and Pulmonary Hypertension.

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is an important gas molecule in the regulation of vascular tone and arterial pressure. It has been considered that endothelial dysfunction with impairment of NO production contributes to a hypertensive state. Alternatively, long-term hypertension may affect the endothelial function, depress NO production, and thereby reduce the dilator action on vasculatures.

Beta-Adrenergic Mechanisms in Arterial Hemodynamics: A Comparison between Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether beta-adrenergically mediated cardiovascular functions such as arterial pressure (AP), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), peripheral resistance (R(p)), arterial impedance (Z(c)), mean arterial compliance (C(m)) and pulse wave reflection (P(b)) were altered in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) compared to the normotensive Wistar Kyoto rat (WKY). In pentobarbital-anesthetized and artificially ventilated rats, the aortic pressure wave was recorded with a high-fidelity Millar sensor, and aortic flow wave with an electromagnetic flow probe. The pressure and flow waves were subjected to Fourier transform so as to analyze impedance spectra.

Characterization of arterial hemodynamics in rats with established hypertension.

In long-term hypertension, hemodynamic alterations are associated with functional and structural changes in the cardiovascular system. The technique of arterial impedance spectral analysis has long been used to characterize the arterial hemodynamics of steady and pulsatile components in human hypertension. Although rats with spontaneous hypertension (SHR) are the most common model for studies of primary hypertension, characterization of complete hemodynamic parameters has not been accomplished in this animal model.

Hemodynamic mechanisms of neurogenic pulmonary edema.

Acute lung injury has been reported in man and animals with intracranial disorders, head trauma or cerebral compression. Early studies in our laboratory demonstrated that pulmonary hemorrhagic edema (PHE) of acute and fulminating type occurred accompanying severe hypertension and bradycardia (Cushing responses) in animals following cerebral compression (CC) or intracranial hypertension (ICH). The lung pathology was prevented by spinal transection and sympathoadrenergic blocking agents, but was not affected by decerebration, adrenalectomy, vagotomy and atropine.