XinHua Hospital

About: XinHua Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Shanghai, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Medicine & Biology. The organization has 908 authors who have published 596 publications receiving 11785 citations.

Childhood Sexual Abuse and the Development of Recurrent Major Depression in Chinese Women

Abstract: Background Our prior study in Han Chinese women has shown that women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk for developing major depression (MD). Would this relationship be found in our whole data set? Method Three levels of CSA (non-genital, genital, and intercourse) were assessed by self-report in two groups of Han Chinese women: 6017 clinically ascertained with recurrent MD and 5983 matched controls. Diagnostic and other risk factor information was assessed at personal interview. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression. Results We confirmed earlier results by replicating prior analyses in 3,950 new recurrent MD cases. There were no significant differences between the two data sets. Any form of CSA was significantly associated with recurrent MD (OR 4.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) [3.19–5.24]). This association strengthened with increasing CSA severity: non-genital (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.58–3.15), genital (OR 5.24, 95% CI 3.52–8.15) and intercourse (OR 10.65, 95% CI 5.56–23.71). Among the depressed women, those with CSA had an earlier age of onset, longer depressive episodes. Recurrent MD patients those with CSA had an increased risk for dysthymia (OR 1.60, 95%CI 1.11–2.27) and phobia (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.09–1.80). Any form of CSA was significantly associated with suicidal ideation or attempt (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.20–1.89) and feelings of worthlessness or guilt (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02–2.02). Intercourse (OR 3.47, 95%CI 1.66–8.22), use of force and threats (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.05–3.82) and how strongly the victims were affected at the time (OR 1.39, 95%CI 1.20–1.64) were significantly associated with recurrent MD. Conclusions In Chinese women CSA is strongly associated with recurrent MD and this association increases with greater severity of CSA. Depressed women with CSA have some specific clinical traits. Some features of CSA were associated with greater likelihood of developing recurrent MD.

Lysophosphatidic Acid Acyltransferase β (LPAATβ) Promotes the Tumor Growth of Human Osteosarcoma

Abstract: Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignancy of bone with poorly characterized molecular pathways important in its pathogenesis. Increasing evidence indicates that elevated lipid biosynthesis is a characteristic feature of cancer. We sought to investigate the role of lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase b (LPAATb, aka, AGPAT2) in regulating the proliferation and growth of human osteosarcoma cells. LPAATb can generate phosphatidic acid, which plays a key role in lipid biosynthesis as well as in cell proliferation and survival. Although elevated expression of LPAATb has been reported in several types of human tumors, the role of LPAATb in osteosarcoma progression has yet to be elucidated. Methodology/Principal Findings: Endogenous expression of LPAATb in osteosarcoma cell lines is analyzed by using semiquantitative PCR and immunohistochemical staining. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of LPAATb and silencing LPAATb expression is employed to determine the effect of LPAATb on osteosarcoma cell proliferation and migration in vitro and osteosarcoma tumor growth in vivo. We have found that expression of LPAATb is readily detected in 8 of the 10 analyzed human osteosarcoma lines. Exogenous expression of LPAATb promotes osteosarcoma cell proliferation and migration, while silencing LPAATb expression inhibits these cellular characteristics. We further demonstrate that exogenous expression of LPAATb effectively promotes tumor growth, while knockdown of LPAATb expression inhibits tumor growth in an orthotopic xenograft model of human osteosarcoma. Conclusions/Significance: Our results strongly suggest that LPAATb expression may be associated with the aggressive phenotypes of human osteosarcoma and that LPAATb may play an important role in regulating osteosarcoma cell proliferation and tumor growth. Thus, targeting LPAATb may be exploited as a novel therapeutic strategy for the clinical management of osteosarcoma. This is especially attractive given the availability of selective pharmacological inhibitors.

Emodin on hepatic fibrosis in rats.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To investigate effect of emodin on hepatic fibrosis in rats. METHODS The rat hepatic fibrosis model was induced by the subcutaneous injection of 40% CCl4 (twice a week for 6 weeks) dissolved in olive oil. The emodin-treated rats were treated with low-dose, mediate-dose and high-dose emodin (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg body weight, once a day for 42 days) dissolved in 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), except receiving CCl4. Control group received only olive oil and 0.5% CMC. Liver functions were determined by standard procedure. Serum hyaluronic acid and laminin were determined by radioimmunoassay. Liver hydroxyprolines were determined. Histopathological changes were examined by optical microscopy. RESULTS Compared with model group, the emodin-treated rats showed (1) liver functions were improved, alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) were obviously reduced, and total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) were significantly increased; (2) serum hyaluronic acid and laminin were markedly reduced; (3) liver hydroxyproline was significantly decreased; (4) the degrees of fibrosis were reduced. The changes of parameters mentioned above were significant (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Emodin has effect on hepatic fibrosis in rats. The hepatoprotective of emodin may be one of mechanisms for liver fibrosis.