Objective: To evaluate anti-diabetic effect of Caulerpa lentillifera (C. lentillifera).Methods:The inhibitory effect of C. lentillifera extract on dipeptidyl peptidase-IV andα-glucosidase enzyme was measured in a cell free system. Then, interleukin-1β and interferon-γinduced cell death and insulin secretion were measured in rat insulinoma (RIN) cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and ELISA kit, respectively. Glucose uptake and glucose transporter expression were measured by fluorometry and western blotting, using 3T3-L1 adipocytes.Results: C. lentillifera extract significantly decreased dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and α-glucosidase enzyme activities, and effectively inhibited cell death and iNOS expression in interleukin-1βand interferon-γ induced RIN cells. Furthermore, C. lentillifera extract significantly enhanced insulin secretion in RIN cells and glucose transporter expression and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.Conclusions:Thus, our results suggest that C. lentillifera could be used as a potential anti-diabetic agent.

Introduction: This study examined the factors related to the amount of blood loss and transfusion after primary total hip arthroplasty. Materials and methods: Sixty THRA patients, who had records of perioperative complete blood counts and transfusion, were enrolled in this study. Age, gender, diagnosis, use of cement, size of an incision, operative time, intraoperative crack, estimated blood loss, use of suction drain and the amount drained were used as possible variables. Results: The decrease in the serum hemoglobin level immediately after and 1 day after surgery was 3.18 and 3.90g/dL respectively. An average of 2.30 units were transfused in 78.3% of cases. The preoperative serum hemoglobin level, the use of a suction drain and the amount drained was related to the total amount of transfusion. Adverse transfusion reactions were found to be associated with the amount of transfusion Discussion: The reduction in the hemoglobin level and total amount of blood transfused showed no relationship with the variances associated with the surgical techniques. The total amount of blood transfused was significantly lower in the groups that had no suction drain. Therefore, a reduction in the volume of intraoperative transfusion and avoiding use of a suction drain can reduce the total amount of blood needed and reduce the adverse reactions of the transfusion.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip* ; Blood Cell Count ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Operative Time ; Suction

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of extracts of Korean native Cimicifuge species on cell proliferation in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). METHODS: VSMC were isolated from rat aorta. Cell proliferation was assessed by measure of bromodeoxyuridine incorporation into the cells. Differences in Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were examined after exposure to the extracts of Korean native Cimicifuge species using the detection reagents dichlorofluorecin diacetate. The rhizomes/roots were air-dried and milled with a commercial food mixer. Milled rhizomes/roots of each Cimicifuga species were separately extracted by 80% ethanol, absolute methanol, and 40% 2-propanol using homogenizer and evaporated under reduced pressure at low temperatures. Effects of extracts dissolved in phosphate-buffered saline (0.3 mg/mL) were examined. RESULTS: Ethanolic, methanolic or propanolic extracts of 4 Korean native Cimicifuge species (Cimicifuga [C] davurica, C. japonica, C. heracleifolia var. bifida Nakai, C. simplex) were screened. The addition of extracts of each Korean native Cimicifuge species to cells in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) potently inhibited cell proliferation. Significant decrease of 23%-30% was observed. Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, inhibited 10% FBS-stimulated cell proliferation of VSMC. We also demonstrated that extracts of each Korean native Cimicifuge species decreased intracellular ROS generation induced with 10% FBS. The effect of Korean native Cimicifuge species was not species-specific and solvent-specific. CONCLUSION: TExtracts of Korean native Cimicifuge species inhibit VSMC proliferation via inhibition of intracellular ROS. These findings suggest that Cimicifuge species used for reducing menopause symptoms might be cardioprotective in women.
1-Propanol ; 2-Propanol ; Animals ; Aorta ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cell Proliferation ; Cimicifuga ; Estrogens ; Ethanol ; Female ; Humans ; Indicators and Reagents ; Menopause ; Methanol ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Vitamin E ; Vitamins

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-diabetic effects of the water extract of Lespedeza cuneata (LCW) using rat insulinoma (RIN) m5F cells and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The effect of LCW on the protection of pancreatic beta cells was assessed using MTT assay, and nitric oxide production was assessed using Griess reagent. STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with 100 and 400 mg/kg body weight of LCW for 5 weeks. In results, LCW significantly protected cytokine-induced toxicity and NO production, and increased insulin secretion in RINm5F cells. LCW significantly decreased serum blood glucose, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) levels, and renal fibronectin expression in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Also, LCW effectively improved BW loss in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Thus, our results suggest that LCW has a beneficial effect on cytokine-induced pancreatic beta cell damage and biomarkers of diabetic complication in hyperglycemic rats.
Animals ; Biomarkers ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Body Weight ; Cytokines ; Diabetes Complications ; Fibronectins ; Glycosylation End Products, Advanced ; Insulin ; Insulin-Secreting Cells ; Insulinoma ; Lespedeza* ; Nitric Oxide ; Rats ; Streptozocin ; Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances ; Water*

In this study, the effect of systemic administration of kainic acid (KA) on the expression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA in the rat brain was investigated with in situ hybridization histochemistry. After the injection of KA in a convulsive dose (10 mg/kg i.p.), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA was reduced significantly in dentate gyrus, cerebral cortex, and caudate-putamen and moderately in CA1-CA3 areas of hippocampus and cerebellum. In dentate gyrus, the expression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA was significantly decreased at 6 h, lowest level at 9 h, after that the expression was gradually recovered and returned to basal level at 72 h after KA injection. However, in the CA1-CA3 areas of the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and caudate-putamen, the expression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA was abruptly decreased at 9 h and almost return to basal level at 24 h after KA injection. The significant repression of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA in cerebellum was only found at 9 h after KA injection. But significant change of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor mRNA was not found in the brains of rats treated with NMDA receptor blocker, MK-801, followed by KA injection. These observations suggest that the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor is one of the genes whose expression can be altered by KA treatment and the NMDA receptor is related with this alternation.
Animals ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Cortex ; Dentate Gyrus ; Dizocilpine Maleate ; Hippocampus ; In Situ Hybridization ; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate* ; Inositol* ; Kainic Acid* ; N-Methylaspartate ; Rats* ; Repression, Psychology ; RNA, Messenger* ; Seizures*

PURPOSE: When there is a varus deformity in proximal tibia, the extension of a tibial shaft axis usually passes through the lateral intercondylar eminence. We performed prospective randomized study to find out whether the lateral eminence of tibia could be used as a reference point for proximal tibial cutting during total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We randomly divided fifty patients who received TKR from April to December 2004 into two groups. For a proximal tibial cutting, we located the proximal tibial reference point at the center of intercondylar eminences for group I and at the lateral eminence for group II. Along with the clinical assessment, we measured the angles between the axis of the prostheses and both the mechanical and shaft axis of tibiae. RESULTS: There were no differences in clinical results between two groups. The angles between the axis of the prostheses and the mechanical / shaft axis of tibiae were varus 2.14 / 2.22 degrees in group 1 and valgus 0.20 / 0.14 degrees in group 2(p=0.02, 0.01). CONCLUSION: With moving the reference point laterally, we could prevent the varus tibial osteotomy and achieve more reliable alignment of the tibial component.
Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Knee ; Osteotomy ; Prospective Studies ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tibia

PURPOSE: We frequently observed varus cutting of tibia in total knee arthroplasty. And we found that the extension of the tibial shaft axis often reach the lateral intercondylar eminence. So right tibias were osteotomized as usual manner and left tibias were osteotomized as the proximal reference point of cutting at the lateral intercondylar eminence, then we compared the differences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By using 6 cadavers, right tibias were osteotomized as usual manner and left tibias were osteotomized as the proximal reference point of cutting at the lateral intercondylar eminence. Tibial prosthesis were implanted after measuring the thickness of cut tibial condyles. The radiological examinations were accomplished pre- and postoperatively. With postoperative X-ray films, we measured the angles between the perpendicular line to the prosthesis and shaft axis/mechanical axis. RESULTS: The mediolateral differences of cut tibial condyles were not statistically different between right and left tibias. The right angles between the perpendicular line to the prosthesis and shaft axis/mechanical axis were measured average varus 1.00 and 1.08 degree and left angles average varus 0.25 and 0.17 degree, so no statistical differences were observed(p=0.066, 0.066). CONCLUSIONS: Although no statistical differences, we could get more stable alignment by valgus osteotomy and somewhat low incidences of varus cutting were observed. In the future more studies would be required by using varus deformed tibias.
Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee* ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cadaver* ; Incidence ; Knee ; Osteotomy ; Prostheses and Implants ; Tibia ; X-Ray Film

Objective: To evaluate anti-diabetic effect of Caulerpa lentillifera (C. lentillifera). Methods: The inhibitory effect of C. lentillifera extract on dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and α-glucosidase enzyme was measured in a cell free system. Then, interleukin-1ß and interferon-γ induced cell death and insulin secretion were measured in rat insulinoma (RIN) cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and ELISA kit, respectively. Glucose uptake and glucose transporter expression were measured by fluorometry and western blotting, using 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Results: C. lentillifera extract significantly decreased dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and α-glucosidase enzyme activities, and effectively inhibited cell death and iNOS expression in interleukin-1ß and interferon-γ induced RIN cells. Furthermore, C. lentillifera extract significantly enhanced insulin secretion in RIN cells and glucose transporter expression and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Conclusions: Thus, our results suggest that C. lentillifera could be used as a potential anti-diabetic agent.

During recent years, cases of toxic shock syndrome have been reported with increasing frequency in plastic surgery patients. The majority of reports relate to aesthetic plastic surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty, augmentation mammoplasty, liposuction, and chemical peeling. We report a case of toxic shock syndrome with necrotizing fascitis after liposuction in a 23-year-old woman who had erythema and edema, blister formation and gangrene in the skin. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit, and treatment was initiated with vigorous fluid resuscitation and intravenous antibiotic therapy. During the next days, the condition of the patient worsened, and pulmonary insufficiency required intubation and mechanical ventilation. Surgical treatment with multiple incision and irrigation was performed on the first, third and eighteenth day. The patient was discharged in good health on the 30th day after admission. Toxic shock syndrome with necrotizing fascitis is a rare disease; therefore, it is important to review its diagnostic and clinical features as only early diagnosis and prompt, radical surgery improves the survival rate.
Blister ; Early Diagnosis ; Edema ; Erythema ; Fasciitis, Necrotizing ; Female ; Gangrene ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Intubation ; Lipectomy ; Mammaplasty ; Polymethacrylic Acids ; Respiration, Artificial ; Resuscitation ; Rhinoplasty ; Shock, Septic ; Skin ; Surgery, Plastic ; Young Adult

Obesity is a complex metabolic disorder that increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. In this study, we evaluated the anti-obesity effects of Nelumbo nucifera leaf (NL) extract in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and obese db/db mice. NL extract among various parts (leaf, seed, and root) of N. nucifera most effectively reduced adipogenesis via inhibiting CCAAT enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ (PPARγ) expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The addition of NL extract enhanced the protein expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) as compared to untreated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The oral administration of NL extract (100 mg/kg BW) significantly reduced food efficacy ratio, body weight, and face or total cholesterol level in obese db /db mice. Also, administration of NL extract significantly decreased adipocyte size and C/EBPα or PPARγ expression in the adipose tissues as compared with control (obese db/db mice). Therefore, our results suggest that NL extract among various parts of N. nucifera could be used as a functional food ingredient for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases including obesity and diabetes.