BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Artemisinin, a natural product isolated from Gaeddongssuk (artemisia annua L.) and its main active derivative, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), have long been used as antimalarial drugs. Recent studies reported that artemisinin is efficacious for curing diseases, including cancers, and for improving the immune system. Many researchers have shown the therapeutic effects of artemisinin on tumors such as breast cancer, liver cancer and kidney cancer, but there is still insufficient data regarding glioblastoma (GBM). Glioblastoma accounts for 12-15% of brain cancer, and the median survival is less than a year, despite medical treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of DHA and transferrin against glioblastoma (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM). MATERIALS/METHODS: This study was performed through in vitro experiments using C6 cells. The toxicity dependence of DHA and transferrin (TF) on time and concentration was analyzed by MTT assay and cell cycle assay. Observations of cellular morphology were recorded with an optical microscope and color digital camera. The anti-cancer mechanism of DHA and TF against GBM were studied by flow cytometry with Annexin V and caspase 3/7. RESULTS: MTT assay revealed that TF enhanced the cytotoxicity of DHA against C6 cells. An Annexin V immune-precipitation assay showed that the percentages of apoptosis of cells treated with TF, DHA alone, DHA in combination with TF, and the control group were 7.15 ± 4.15%, 34.3 ± 5.15%, 66.42 ± 5.98%, and 1.2 ± 0.15%, respectively. The results of the Annexin V assay were consistent with those of the MTT assay. DHA induced apoptosis in C6 cells through DNA damage, and TF enhanced the effects of DHA. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated that DHA, the derivative of the active ingredient in Gaeddongssuk, is effective against GBM, apparently via inhibition of cancer cell proliferation by a pharmacological effect. The role of transferrin as an allosteric activator in the GBM therapeutic efficacy of DHA was also confirmed.
Annexin A5 ; Antimalarials ; Apoptosis ; Brain Neoplasms ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; DNA Damage ; Drug Therapy ; Flow Cytometry ; Glioblastoma* ; Immune System ; In Vitro Techniques ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Liver Neoplasms ; Therapeutic Uses* ; Transferrin*

Esophageal perforation is a rare disease, which require emergent diagnosis and therapeutic procedure. In this paper, we present one case of esophageal perforation by traction of toothbrush which was swallowed during pharyngeal irritation. After the toothbrush was inserted to stomach by gastroscope, gastrostomy was performed for removal of toothbrush and the esophageal perforation was repaired by operation.
Diagnosis ; Esophageal Perforation* ; Gastroscopes ; Gastrostomy ; Rare Diseases ; Stomach ; Traction

No abstract available.
Atrophy ; Pityriasis* ; Tinea Versicolor*

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery spasm is an important mechanism in producing myocardial ischemia. But the exact mechanism of the spasm is not well known. We investigated the mutation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) that produce nitric oxide and relationship between eNOS mutation and coronary artery spasm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood were drawn from the patients with angiographically proven coronary artery spasm and normal controls. DNA were extracted and polymerase chain reaction and restriction analysis with Nae I were performed to find T-786-- Cholesterol ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Coronary Vessels* ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spasm* ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery spasm is an important mechanism in producing myocardial ischemia. But the exact mechanism of the spasm is not well known. We investigated the mutation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) that produce nitric oxide and relationship between eNOS mutation and coronary artery spasm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood were drawn from the patients with angiographically proven coronary artery spasm and normal controls. DNA were extracted and polymerase chain reaction and restriction analysis with Nae I were performed to find T-786-- Cholesterol ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Coronary Vessels* ; DNA ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence* ; Korea ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spasm* ; Triglycerides

Infective endocarditis is the infectious disease that produces vegetation on endocardium. Acute bacterial endocarditis is most frequently caused by Staphylococcus aureus, occurs on a normal heart valve, and subacute endocarditis usually caused by Streptococcus viridans occurs on damaged valves. Gemella haemolysans are gram-positive cocci that is placed in the family Streptococcaceae. As opportunistic pathogen, Gemella haemolysans are able to cause severe localized and generalized infections and it is known that this organism very rarely causes infective endocarditis. The paucity of reports concerning Gemella haemolysans is probably related to the difficulties associated with their identification. Several laboratory tests to prevent misinterpretation of this organism are now suggested. We have experienced a case of infective endocarditis that is caused by Gemella haemolysans in 37 year old male patient with ventricular septal defect. Gemella haemolysans were detected by blood culture and he was treated with intravenous vancomycin with gentamicin and ceftriaxone, and also underwent cardiac surgery. This is the first case of Gemella haemolysans endocarditis of ventricular septal defect in Korea.
Adult ; Ceftriaxone ; Communicable Diseases ; Endocarditis* ; Endocarditis, Bacterial ; Endocardium ; Gemella* ; Gentamicins ; Gram-Positive Cocci ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular* ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcaceae ; Thoracic Surgery ; Vancomycin ; Viridans Streptococci

Renal leiomyoma, a rare benign tumor, is a challenging diagnostic and therapeutic condition. The preoperative diagnosis of renal leiomyoma is very difficult, and the only definite method to distinguish between a leiomyoma and other renal tumor is postoperative microscopic evaluation. We report a case of leiomyoma of the kidney which was managed by radical nephrectomy under the impression of malignant renal mass which was incidentally found by ultrasonographic examination for health check in a 43-year-old woman.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney* ; Leiomyoma* ; Nephrectomy

During thalamotomy, we have to use the various kinds of brain reference points. From 1989 to 1992, the authors performed streotactic thalamotomy or pallidotomy in 169 patients suffering from tremor. We measured and estimated the important intracerebral reference points. These data were very meaningful for stereotactic functional neurosurgery in the Korean medical community because it is obtained from Korean people. We have also estimated the average location of targets for tremor submission.
Brain ; Humans ; Neurosurgery ; Pallidotomy ; Statistics as Topic* ; Tremor

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the literature to determine whether intensive pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy and after delivery could prevent urinary and fecal incontinence. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of low-risk obstetric populations who had done Kegel exercise during pregnancy and after delivery met the inclusion criteria. Articles published between 1966 and 2012 from periodicals indexed in Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, KoreaMed, NDSL and other databases were selected, using the following keywords: 'Kegel, pelvic floor exercise'. The Cochrane's Risk of Bias was applied to assess the internal validity of the RCT. Fourteen selected studies were analyzed by meta-analysis using RevMan 5.1. RESULTS: Fourteen RCTs with high methodological quality, involving 6,454 women were included. They indicated that Kegel exercise significantly reduced the development of urinary and fecal incontinence from pregnancy to postpartum. Also, there was low clinical heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: There is some evidence that for antenatal and postnatal women, Kegel exercise can prevent urinary and fecal incontinence. Therefore, a priority task is to develop standardized Kegel exercise programs for Korean pregnant and postpartum women and make efficient use of these programs.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Databases, Factual ; *Exercise Therapy ; Fecal Incontinence/*prevention & control ; Female ; Humans ; Muscle Contraction/physiology ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Urinary Incontinence/*prevention & control

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular hypertrophy is common in chronic renal failure patients and may contribute increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We evaluated the left ventricular morphology and function in renal transplant recipients to find the relationship between hemodynamic changes and morphologic and functional improvement after transplantation. METHODS: Serial echocardiographic evaluations were performed in 27 adults(20 men and 7 women) at the time of transplantaion and posttransplantation 1 month and 4 months. The average duration of hemodialysis was 16+/-24 months(mean+/-S.D.). RESULTS: At the time of transplantation, the hematocrit level was 21+/-6% and posttransplantation 1 month and 4 months, that was increased to 39+/-5% and 42+/-7%, respectively(p<0.001). Left ventricular mass index by echocardiography was decreased significantly from 246+/-87g/m2(pre-KT) to 169+/-38g/m2(post-KT 1 month) and 153+/-40g/m2(post-KT 4 months), respectively (p<0.001). Interventricular septal thickness and left ventricular posterior wall thickness were decreased significantly after 4 months of transplantation. Left ventricular systolic and diastolic dimensions were also decreased significantly after 1 month and 4 months of transplantation. Left ventricular volumes and cardiac output were also decreased significantly. But A/E ratio, ejection fraction and fractional shortening did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: These findings showed that pretransplant high output state was resolved radipidly(within 1 month) but the diastolic function did not improved after transplantation 1 month and 4 months.
Cardiac Output ; Echocardiography* ; Hematocrit ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney Transplantation ; Male ; Mortality ; Renal Dialysis ; Transplantation*