The effects of phorbol esters were studied in rabbit carotid artery to evaluate the action of protein kinase C on the regulation of vascular tone by isoproterenol. The vascular rings, 2 mm in width, were myographied isometrically in an isolated organ bath and the effects of phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate(PDBu) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate(PMA) were determined. Isoproterenol, a beta adrenergic agonist, relaxed the vessel which was precontracted by phenylephrine, but not that by phorbol esters. The action of isoproterenol was attenuated by removal of endothelium or pretreatment with methylene blue or nitro-L-arginine. The pretreatment with phorbol esters at concentrations which did not induce contraction, decreased isoproterenol-induced relaxation of vascular rings with or without endothelium. The action of PDBu on isoproterenol-induced relaxation was less effective than that of PMA, unlike those observed in contractile response, but the contractile effect of the former was more potent than that of the latter. PMA did not affect relaxant effect of forskolin, an activator of adenyl cyclase. Staurosporine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, inhibited the action of these drugs on both isoproterenol-induced relaxation and the contractile response. These results suggest that the relaxation induced by isoproterenol was reducd by the activation of protein kinase C, which may be isozyme different from that involved in contractile response.
Adenylyl Cyclases ; Adrenergic beta-Agonists ; Baths ; Carotid Arteries ; Colforsin ; Endothelium ; Isoproterenol* ; Methylene Blue ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Phenylephrine ; Phorbol Esters* ; Protein Kinase C ; Relaxation ; Staurosporine

The study is to evaluate the effect of mannitol and betamethasone on postischemic brain edema. Brain ischemia was produced by transient occlusion of the both common carotid arteries with the vascular clip for duration of 3 minutes and 5 minutes. Each group was recirculated for 30 minutes, 1, 2, 3 and 6 hours after removing the clips from the arteries. Of 40 rabbits, twenty rabbits were untreated as control and the other twenty rabbits were treated with a combination of mannitol(2 gm/kg) and betamethasone(1 mg/kg) intravenously at 20 minutes before the occlusion. The water content, amount of Na and K were measured and compared with each group between the 3 minute and 5 minute occlusion groups, and between the control group and treated group with mannitol and betamethasone. The experimental results were summerized as follows; 1) The water content of the treated group was significantly decreased comparing with the control group in both 3 and 5 minute occlusion groups. The water content of the 5 minute occlusion group was much increased than that of the 3 minute occlusion group in the control group. 2) The amount of Na and K were significantly increased in the treated group comparing with the control group. 3) The amount of Na, K in relation to water content of the treated group were higher than that of the control group. With the above results, it might be concluded that postischemic brain edema(water content) was more significant in the prolonged occlusion group, and administration of mannitol and betamethasone is effective for the prevention and treated of postischemic brain edema.
Arteries ; Betamethasone* ; Brain Edema* ; Brain Ischemia ; Brain* ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Mannitol* ; Rabbits*

In case of young women treated with ovarian preservation in cervical cancer surgery, it is regarded pertinent to reduce the risk of early menopause resulting from adjuvant pelvic irradiation through ovarian transposition. On the other hand, lots of authors have raised questions in regard with the ovary being possibly affected by micrometastasis. Studies have reported appropriate indications of ovarian transposition and risk factors of ovarian metastasis to cope with this problem. We conducted ovarian transposition with cervical cancer patient who had no ovarian metastasis risk factors reported in previous literature and experienced such case that metastasis took place only in the ovary without spreading to other organs. This study is to report that case based on brief literature review.
Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Menopause ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Micrometastasis ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Ovary ; Phosphatidylethanolamines ; Risk Factors ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

The incidence of multiple primary malignancy is extremely rare although the prevalence rate is increasing recently. There are several reasons of increment of multiple primary malignancy. First, the advances in the treatment and the diagnostic modality of malignancy have led to increased survival rate. So many of the patients who survived the first cancer could live long enough to develop additional primary cancers. Second, the long term effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been proved oncogenic. Third, increasing age, environmental carcinogen, some kinds of viral infection, and genetic predisposition have potentials for multiple carcinogenesis. Most of multiple primary cancer is double primary, however triple primary cancer is rare. We experienced a case of triple primary cancer involving endometrium, colon, and stomach. We report this case with a review of literatures.
Carcinogenesis ; Colon ; Drug Therapy ; Endometrial Neoplasms* ; Endometrium ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prevalence ; Stomach ; Survival Rate

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a malignant tumor of mesenchymal origin. It is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood and approximately 250 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. The most common sites for rhabdomyosarcoma are the head and neck (parameningeal, orbit, paryngeal etc.), the extremities, and the genitourinary tract. Histologically, it can be classified into embryonal, alveolar, pleomorphic, and undifferentiated. Alveolar subtype accounts for approximately 25%. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is very rare and its prognosis is very poor. Especially, cases that reported from vulva are extremely rare, and informations regarding treatment and prognosis are not standardized. We present a case of a girl with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of vulva with a review of a literature.
Extremities ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Neck ; Orbit ; Prognosis ; Rhabdomyosarcoma ; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Alveolar* ; Sarcoma ; Vulva*

OBJECTIVES: This non-randomized retrospective study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and to evaluate the actual 5-year survival rate of the patients with invasive cancer of the cervix. METHODS: 489 evaluable patients with invasive cancer of the cervix were treated at Korea Cancer Center Hospital from January to December 1992. In this retrospective study, we studied the clinico-pathologic characteristics(age, FIGO stage, histologic type, nodal metastasis) and treatment modalities by the review of medical records. Especially, the survival was confirmed by the support of the police and government office. RESULTS: The most common subsets of patients were found in the group of FIGO stage IIb(32.5%) and age between 51 and 60(33%). Surgery was the main treatment in stage Ib/IIa(65%) and radiation in stage IIb or more(97%). Nodal metastasis were surgically identified in 6% of stage Ib, 29% of stage IIa and 36% of stage IIb. Overall actual 5-year survival rate was 72.2%; stage Ia(100%), Ib(94%), IIa(82%), IIb(63%), IIIa(36%), IIIb(47%), and IV(0%). The five-year survival rate according to LN status in surgically confirmed FIGO stage Ib-II patients were 91.9% in negative patients and 73.1% in positive patients respectively. Five-year survival rate was significantly different according to stage(P < 0.02) and nodal metastasis(p < 0.01). However, age and histologic type did not show any significant differences in survival. CONCLUSION: Overall actual five-year survival rate of 489 evaluable patients with invasive cancer of the cervix who were treated at Korea Cancer Center Hospital from January to December 1992 was 72.2%. Five-year survival rate was different according to stage and nodal metastasis.
Humans ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Police ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate clinicopathologic findings of patients with small cell carcinoma of uterine cervix, and to evaluate the recurrence pattern and prognosis of patients with small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix. Methods: From Jan. 1990, to Dec. 1997, 23 patients with small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were registered and followed-up at Korea Cancer Center Hospital. Clinical characteristics, survival of these patients were studied retrospectively. RESULTS: Among the 23 cases of small cell carcinoma of uterine cervix, 17 cases(74%) were of the neuroendocrine type (NE group), and 6 cases(26.0%) of the squamous cell type (SCC group). The median age, FIGO stage, and treatment modality were not significant difference between two groups. Pelvic lymph node metastases were found 53% in NE group, and 33% in SCC group, but there were not significant difference between two groups(p>0.05). Three patients showed distant metastases in NE group(bone 18%, bladder 9%), but there was no distant metastasis in SCC group. The 3 year survival rate was 50.0% in SCC group and 32.1% in NE group, but there were not statistical significance(p>0.05). Six patients showed recurrence after treatment (4/17 cases in NE group, 2/6 cases in SCC group). Recurrence sites were liver (3/6, 50%), and lung (2/6, 33%), brain (2/6, 33%), retroperitoneum (1/6, 17%), and axillae lymph node (1/6, 17%). CONCLUSION: This study showed neuroendocrine small cell carcinoma may have more aggressive than squamous small cell carcinoma, but there were not significant difference in prognosis between the two groups. Because of limitation of number of patients, further large scaled multicenter studies are needed.
Axilla ; Brain ; Carcinoma, Small Cell* ; Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Urinary Bladder ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiological data of stroke patients admitted to Dong-Eui Hospital. METHOD: We performed a prospective study on 1370 cases of stroke consecutively admitted to the hospital from June, 2001 to May, 2002 during hospitalization by medical records and questionaire. RESULT: The highest incidence of the stroke was noted in the group of 60 years of age. The proportion of stroke subtypes were infarct (75.2%), intracranial hemorrhage (21.2%), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (3.6%). Sixteen percents of patients arrived over 24 hours after onset of stroke. The seasonal incidence was in order of frequency of spring, winter, autumn, and summer. The highest occurrence of the stroke was noted in May. The onset time of stroke was highest between 7: 00 am and 8: 00 am. Risk factors in stroke by the order of frequency were hypertension (61.1%), abnormal EKG at admission (45.5%), hyperlipidemia (38.3%), smoking (36.6%), previous stroke history (24.7%), and diabetes mellitus (24.7%). The common complications during hospitalization were pneumonia (7.6%), gastritis (5.6%), depression (4.8%), and hepatitis (4.6%). CONCLUSION: Although the results of this study obtained from one local hospital in Korea, they are valuable as basic epidemiologic data of stroke for the rospective community- based study in the future.
Depression ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Electrocardiography ; Epidemiology ; Gastritis ; Hepatitis ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Pneumonia ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seasons ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stroke* ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

A rare case of teratoma occuring in the posterior cranial fossa is reported. The tumor was partially encapsulated, and a surgical removal was accomplished. Teratoma is defined as a true tumor, composed of several types of tissues representing more than one germinal layer, which are foreign to the part in which it arises. The literature on teratomas located in the posterior cranial fossa is reviewed.
Cranial Fossa, Posterior* ; Teratoma*

Primary tumors of the mesentery are uncommon, and primary leiomyosarcoma of the mesentery is especially rare, and thus an accurate preoperative diagnosis is difficult. We experienced a case of 32-year female with primary leiomyosarcoma of the mesentery. We report this case with a brief review of the literature.
Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Leiomyosarcoma* ; Mesentery* ; Neoplasm Metastasis*