The plant Brucea javanica has shown impressive efficacy for treating various diseases including cancer. However, the mechanism by which B. javanica acts is poorly understood. We have established tissue culture assays to study the effects of B. javanica on cervical and several other cancer cells. Our results demonstrated that the aqueous extract from B. javanica is selectively toxic to cancer cells. Induction of apoptosis by B. javanica appears to be a possible mechanism by which it kills cancer cells. Interestingly, a significant increase of p53 protein level was observed in these apoptotic cells. Our studies indicated that both p53-dependent and p53-independent activities contributed to herb-induced cell death. These results imply that further studies with B. javanica may lead to the development of novel anti-cancer drugs.

Background Limited data exist, particularly from the more generalizable perspective of a community-wide investigation, about recent trends in ambulance use, and factors associated with ambulance use, in patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction. Objective The objectives of this population-based prospective epidemiologic study were to describe decade long trends (1997-2007) in the use of emergency medical services (EMS) by residents of the Worcester, Massachusetts, metropolitan area hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to describe the characteristics of patients with AMI transported to the hospital by EMS (n=3,789) compared with those transported by other means (n=1,505). Methods The study population consisted of 5,294 patients hospitalized for AMI at 11 greater Worcester medical centers in 5 annual periods between 1997 and 2007. Information about the use of EMS, and factors associated with EMS use, were obtained through the review of hospital medical records. Results There was a progressive increase in the proportion of greater Worcester residents with AMI transported to central Massachusetts hospitals by ambulance over time (66.9% transported in 1997; 74.9% transported in 2007). Patients transported by EMS were older, more likely to be women, and to have a greater prevalence of previously diagnosed comorbidities. Conclusions Our findings provide encouragement for the use of EMS in residents of a large central New England community hospitalized with AMI. Despite increasing trends in ambulance use, more research is needed to explore the reasons why patients with AMI do not utilize EMS in the setting of an acute cardiac emergency.

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