Prenatal development of the thoracic aorta of the human during the period ranging from gestation weeks 7 (C-R length 20mm) to 30 (C-R length 260mm) was examined by transmission electron microscopy and the following results were obtained. The early form of cuboidal or columnar endothelial cells at 7-9 weeks of gestation changed gradually to typical flat endothelial cells at 12-14 weeks of gestation. At 9 weeks of gestation, the mesenchymal cells begin to differentiate to myoblasts, which have small clusters of myofilaments with dense bodies and rough endoplasmic reticulum. And from 14 weeks the differentiating cells begin to form a parallel concentric lamellar structure. At 12th week of gestation, elastic fibers were first seen in subendothelial connective tissue and the intercellular spaces between smooth muscle cells. Elastic fibers appeared as small globular shape which composed of a central core of elastic and peripheral microfibrils. From this period the amount of elastic fibers and their aggregation increases gradually in both the subendothelial space and the intercellular spaces between smooth muscle cells. At 30th week of gestation, subendothelial elastic fibers almost completed the internal elastic lamina and also well formed elastic laminae were seen between the smooth muscle cells adjacent to endothelial cells. However, in the space between the smooth muscle cells near the adventitia the elastic lamina formation is delayed. In the adventitia elastic fiber were scanty but collagen fibers are abundant.
Adventitia ; Aorta, Thoracic* ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; Elastic Tissue ; Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough ; Endothelial Cells ; Extracellular Space ; Fetus* ; Humans* ; Microfibrils ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Myoblasts ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Myofibrils ; Pregnancy

No abstract available.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Neurons* ; Neuropeptides*

No abstract available.
Cartilage* ; Fetus* ; Humans* ; Osteogenesis* ; Talus*

No abstract available.
Humans*

Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is believed to be pivotal hormone in hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis and the hypothalamus is believed as the exclusive organ producing GnRH and pituitary is for GnRH re ceptor until recently. Some reported the exptra-hypothalamic GnRH or extra-pituitary GnRH receptors from decades ago. The aims of this study are to confirm the existence of the GnRH receptor in bladder epithelial cancer cell, HT-1197 and HT-1376, and evaluated the possible role of the GnRH on cell cycle. The GnRH and GnRH receptor were detected by immunohistochemical staining and the effect of GnRH on cell cycle change in both cell line were studied by fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). The control cells were cultured at media supplemented with normal serum, and experimental group were cultured at media supplemented with charcoal stripped serum (CSS) which excluding peptide hormones except exogenous GnRH with different concentration. The GnRHs and GnRH receptors were detected at both cell lines and the cell cycle analysis showed that there were little difference in proportion of cell cycle among examined 10,000 cells in both cell lines, neither control nor experimental groups. This study shows that the GnRHs and GnRH receptors exist in bladder cancer cells and GnRH did not influence on the cell cycle progression. With this study, we suppose that the bladder cancer cells produce the GnRH and GnRH receptors and the role of the GnRF produced from the bladder cancer cells might be the autocrine rather than endo-or paracrine factor.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Line ; Charcoal ; Fluorescence ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins* ; Gonads ; Hypothalamus ; Peptide Hormones ; Receptors, LHRH ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms

The present study was carried out to clarify the anatomical changes of lumbar intervertebral discs by aging. Anterior height, posterior height, anteroposterior diameter of intervertebral discs were measured on 512 normal plain lateral radiographs of lumbosacral spine. And the indices of disc wedging and relative disc height were calculated. There was a cephalocaudal gradient of increase in the indices of disc wedging in all age groups. The indices of relative disc height were constant at all lumbar levels. These suggest that the lower disc is more wedge shaped and the height of discs changes in the constant ratio with that of vertebral body.
Aging* ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc* ; Spine

No abstract available.
Fetus* ; Humans* ; Pituitary Gland*

Bone substitutes used in regeneration of bone defect are classified into osteoinductive materials such as demineralized bone matrix and osteoconductive such as hydroxyapatite. But the comparative studies on the bone regeneration after grafts were very rare. About 700 mm demineralized bone matrix particles made from the long bone and hydroxyapatite were allografted into the artificial defect at the medial surface of tibia of adult rabbits, and then the grafts were observed histologically from 3 days to 8 weeks. Lots of fibrin network with blood cells were formed among the demineralized bone particles and hydroxyapatite particles on the 3rd day after graft. Endochondral and intramembranous bone formation from demineralized bone matrix particles, which were resorbed by multinucleated cells, were induced on the 7th day after graft. More rapid bone formation was seen in hydroxyapatite group compared with control group. The central portions of the defect were regenerated with trabecular bone on the 2nd week after graft in the demineralized bone matrix and hydroxyapatite graft group, but they were filled with fibrous tissue in control group. The trabecular bone was being replaced by lamellar bone when the animals were grafted with demineralized bone matrix but the bone just started to be replaced with lamellar bone in hydroxyapatite graft group 4 weeks after graft. On the contrary, the defect was filled by trabecular bone only in the control group. More rapid and perfectionistic lamellar bone formation was seen in bone matrix group compared with hydroxyapatite group after 8 weeks of graft. Partial non-union of the defect is noted in control group. These results suggest that osteoinduction by demineralized bone matrix is more effective than osteocon-duction by hydroxyapatite in regeneration of bone defects.
Adult ; Allografts ; Animals ; Blood Cells ; Bone Matrix* ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone Substitutes ; Durapatite* ; Fibrin ; Humans ; Osteogenesis ; Rabbits ; Regeneration* ; Tibia ; Transplants*

Effects of Ultratiolet (UV) light was studied in isolated thoracic aortae of rabbits and porcine coronary arteries. The following results were obtained. 1) Radiation of UV light did not affect both arterial rings in resting tension. 2) Both arterial preparations contracted with various vasoconstrictors (KCI,NE,PE,BayK 8644 and (+S202 etc.) were relaxed by UV light radiation in a radiation time-dependent fashion. 3) The magnitudes of the relaxation were not significantly different in both the rings with or without intact endothelium. 4) MB and LY markedldy reduced the UV light-induced relaxation in both the rings. 5) PP significantly attenuated the UV light-induced relaxation of rabbit thoracic aorta, but did not affect that of porcine coronary artery. 6) The UV Light-induced relaxation of porcine coronary artery was significantly attenuated by DT or NF, while that of rabbit thoracic aorta was not. 7) (+)S202 significantly potentiated the UV light-induced relaxation of porcine coronary artery contracted with KCI or Hist. Above results suggest that the UV light-induced relaxation of vascular smooth muscles is independent on the endothelium, and the relaxation results from primarily activation of guanylyl cyclase and is in part related to adenylyl cyclase and calcium metabolism. In adddition, a dihydropyridine calcium agonist, (+)S202, may sensitize vascular smooth muscle to the relaxing effect of UV light through some unknown mechanism.
Adenylyl Cyclases ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Calcium* ; Coronary Vessels ; Endothelium ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Metabolism ; Muscle, Smooth* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Rabbits ; Relaxation* ; Ultraviolet Rays ; Vasoconstrictor Agents

Lichen planus is a common, usually intensely pruritic papulosquamous dermatosis with unknown etiology, which may involve the skin, mucous membranes, hair follicles, and nails. Its lesions are usually a localized form but generalized ones are an unusual presentation of lichen planus. We report herein three cases of generalized lichen planus in one male and two female patients, which was diagnosed on clinical and histopathological examinations in all cases.
Female ; Hair Follicle ; Humans ; Lichen Planus* ; Lichens* ; Male ; Mucous Membrane ; Skin ; Skin Diseases