North American Journal of Medicine and Science
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The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor in Cerebral Ischemia
Get PDFExcitotoxicity is a major mechanism of neuronal damage in cerebral ischemia and is mediated largely by neuronal N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR). This review presents the structural and functional alterations in NMDAR after an ischemic insult, including the antagonistic roles different NMDAR sub-types play in the post-ischemic period. By elucidating these molecular changes and the effects they have on downstream cellular signaling, rational therapy can be devised in an attempt to mitigate the effects of cerebral ischemia
Lung Cancer in Asian Women
Get PDFThe incidence of lung cancer has been observed to be two to three times higher among Asian women. The mortality rate of lung cancer in Asian women has also significantly increased in the past few decades. The etiology for such increase remains elusive although studies have implicated and attributed it to both environmental factors and genetic predisposition. Among which, the most consistent findings have shown an association with exposure to oil vapor from high temperature cooking, the use of unrefined oil and indoor air pollution caused by open coal burning wok with inadequate ventilation. In addition, diet has been considered to be a contributing factor. Diets rich in anti-oxidants, such as fruits, leafy green vegetables, and vitamin A, may be protective, while cured meat, including Chinese sausage, and deep-fried cooking increased the risk. Human papillomavirus infection has also been linked to lung cancer among non-smoking females in a study in Taiwan. On the other hand, both active and passive smoking, may not be major risk factors for development of lung cancer in the Asian female population, according to the publications. The interplay between environmental and genetic factors seems to have a more fundamental role in lung cancer among Asian women
Current Understanding of the Red Blood Cell Diseases
Get PDFThe human red blood cell is produced continuously from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. These hematopoietic stem cells can differentiate into red blood cell precursors, which continuously produce hemoglobin until it accounts for roughly 90% of the dry cell weight. The red blood cell precursors then undergo enucleation, a process in which the nucleus of the precursor cell is squeezed out to generate a mature red blood cell.1 The mature red blood cell takes the rather unique shape of a biconcave disk, which is maintained by structure proteins in the cell membrane. The life span of a mature erythroblast is roughly 120 days in humans. A variety of red blood cell diseases are known, such as anemia, sickle cell diseases, malaria, hemolysis and polycythemias. Diseases involving red blood cells are generally due to three factors: genetic deficiency, poor nutrition or parasitic infection. In the past years, progress in genetic and molecular research tools has allowed for a deeper understanding of red blood cell diseases. In this paper, we’ll provide a review of advances in understanding and treatment of the most common red blood cell diseases: namely Malaria, Sickle Cell Disease, and Iron Deficiency Anemia
Magnesium Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
Get PDFBackground: Evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies indicates that magnesium may be involved in carcinogenesis. However, results from observational studies on dietary magnesium intake and colorectal cancer risk are inconsistent. Methods and Results: A meta-analysis of cohort studies was conducted to examine the association between magnesium intake and colorectal cancer. Studies were included if they provided a relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for colorectal cancer in relation to total or dietary magnesium intake. A database was developed based on 4eligible studies including 255,826 individuals who were initially free of cancer with an average 14 years of follow-up. Pooled RR and 95% CI for colorectal cancer were calculated by using random-effect models. Compared with those in the lowest category of magnesium intake, individuals in the highest category had lower colorectal cancer; the pooled multivariate RRs were 0.81 (95% CI, 0.69-0.95) for total colorectal cancer, 0.81 (95%CI, 0.68-0.97) for colon cancer, and 0.84 (95% CI, 0.63-1.12) for rectal cancer
The Role of Iron Metabolism in Host Innate Immunity to Infections
Get PDFIron metabolism disorder is an important public health problem both in the United States and developing world. Iron is essential for both the host and the pathogen. While infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality globally, the relation between iron disorder and infection has received much attention, which is also an important aspect of ‘Nutritional immunity’
Thirty-Eight Year Old Asian Female with Breast Cancer
Get PDFBreast cancer remains one of the most common cancers among women in the United States. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that out of 692,000 cancer cases among women in 2008, 26% is attributed to breast cancer and that 15% of cancer deaths in women are due to breast cancer, second only to lung and bronchial cancer.
Acupuncture in the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
Get PDFMany studies have shown the potential benefits of the acupuncture for Parkinson’s disease although lack of the solid scientific data in clinic. To understand the mechanism of acupuncture is not easy, but many clues in this review would be helpful for the study in the future. As we know today that acupuncture may affect multiple factors of the brain activities, which may involve in the pathogenesis and the development of Parkinson’s disease. They include Dopamine, Dopaminergic neurons, Dopaminergic metabolites, Dopamine D2 receptors, Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS), brain-derived Neurotrophic factor (BNDF), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Lipids Peroxides (LPO) in the striatum, substantia nigra (SN), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Different techniques of acupuncture stimulation seem induce the different responses of the neural activities on the animal model
Breast Cancer, On Call
Get PDFA physician’s workday can hardly be called typical. Other than busy and hectic, it is always unpredictable. Being on call is a time when one is expected to be available twenty four hours. Patients, nurses, pharmacists call on-demand with questions, problems and concerns. But one call I was never prepared to receive was about my own breast cancer diagnosis
Physician Forum - Allergy and Asthma
Get PDFWelcome to BID-Needham “For Your Health Physician Forum”. My name is Weihong Zheng, MD, an allergist and immunologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham. Here I am going to talk about allergies and asthma, what you should know about them, what they are and how you can improve your symptoms
Cardiology Update
Get PDFAtherosclerosis causes coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.1 Our understanding of pathogenesis of atherosclerosis continues to evolve: multiple factors are involved, including endothelial dysfunction,2 dyslipidemia,3 inflammation4 and plaque rupture (Figure 1).5 This underlies the importance of pleiotropic effects of statins in treating atherosclerosis