For parthenogenetic activation as a model system of nuclear transfer, microinjection and electroporation as activation treatments in bovine metaphase II oocytes were administered to each of three groups as follows: control group (treatments with Ca2+, Mg2+ -free PBS+100 micro M EGTA), IP3 group (control+25 micro M IP3) and IP3+ ryanodine group (control+25 micro M IP3+10 mM ryanodine). In experiments using microinjection, no significant differences were observed between any of the developmental stages of the electroporation experiment. For electroporation, cleavage rates were significantly higher in the IP3+ryanodine group than in the IP3 or control group (85.6% vs 73.7% or 67.6%, respectively). In the subsequent stages of embryonic development, such as morula and blastocyst formation, the IP3 and ryanodine group exhibited significantly higher rates of morula fomation than the IP3 or control groups (40.6% vs 24.2% or 16.7%, respectively). Similarly, the rate of blastocyst formation in the IP3+ryanodine group was significantly higher than the control group (16.3% vs 6.9%) but did not differ significantly from the IP3 group (16.3% vs 9.5%). In nuclear transfer, activation was performed at 30 hpm by microinjection and elecroporation with 25 micro M IP3+ 10 mM ryanodine followed by 6-DMAP treatment. No significant differences were observed at any stage of embryonic development and none of the embryos activated by electroporation reached either the morula or blastocyst stage. However, 3.8% and 1.9% of embryos activated by microinjection sucessfully developed to the morula and blastocyst stages, respectively. In conclusion, activation treatments using IP3 and ryanodine are able to support the development of bovine parthenogenetic and reconstructed embryos.
Adenine/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives/pharmacology ; Animals ; Cattle/*embryology/physiology ; Cell Fusion ; Electroporation/veterinary ; Embryonic and Fetal Development/*drug effects ; Enzyme Inhibitors/administration & dosage/pharmacology ; Female ; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Microinjections/veterinary ; Nuclear Transfer Techniques ; Oocytes/drug effects/growth & development ; Parthenogenesis/*drug effects ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; Ryanodine/administration & dosage/*pharmacology ; Skin/cytology

No abstract available.
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone* ; Gonadotropins*

PURPOSE: Tetanus is difficult for emergency physician to diagnosis at an early stage because of its low incidence and atypical initial clinical features. Therefore, we reviewed the clinical features of 54 tetanus cases and attempted to identify factors associated with prognosis in order to improve early diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective chart review of 54 adult tetanus patients who presented to the ED of Chonnam National University Hospital between January 1996 and December 2005. We collected information on demographics, SAPS II score, clinical feature, course of infection and prognosis. We divided the patients to two groups according to the survival and compared their data statistically. RESULTS: Fifty four patients, 33 men and 21 women, were included in the study. The mean age was 50.97+/-15.95. The most common initial diagnosis in ED were electrolyte imbalance (n=15), neck and facial dystonia (n=9). The mean incubation period was 10.27+/-6.47 days. The initial SPAS II score 17.29+/-8.45 and the Wood score was 3.12 +/-1.47. Most commonly symptom was dyspnea and dysarthria. Twenty one patients were supported by mechanical ventilation, and the duration of mechanical ventilation was 5.92+/-4.52 days. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, four variables were found to be associated with the prognosis: incubation period, Wood score, Time interval from initial symptom to mechanical ventilation, initial SAPS II. CONCLUSION: Four variables correlated well with the prognosis: Incubation period, Wood score, Time interval from initial symptom to mechanical ventilation, initial SAPS II score.
Adult ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Dysarthria ; Dyspnea ; Dystonia ; Early Diagnosis ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollanam-do ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Neck ; Prognosis ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Tetanus* ; Wood

Since CT scanning was introduced in the diagnosis of calcaneal fracture, we became to understand more clearly the pathoanatomy of the injury. However we have to determine if we would or would not take CT scanning by simple radiography in the acute setting and most of the surgeons still use simple radiography in evaluating postoperative result. And also we have to determine the accuracy of reduction and position of screws by simple radiography intraoperatively. The purpose of this report is to determine the accuracy of simple radiography in assessing the pathological anatomy of the intraarticular calcaneal fracture by experimental and clinical studies. This is a combined experimental and clinical studies using four below knee amputation specimens and 15 patients with 19 displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures treated at Hanil General Hospital between Jan. 1996 and May 1997. The lateral view of the foot was the best radiographic view for visualizing the degree of depression of the posterior facet. With regard to the location of a fracture line, findings of Broden views correlated well with findings on CT in 17 of 19 fractures. With regard to gapping between fragments, the axial view was not satisfactory in the majority of cases(15 of 19 cases). There was no case which showed more than 2 mm of discrepancy between the findings on Broden view and CT. We conclude that we may obtain most of the important informations about the pathological anatomy of the intraarticular calcaneal fracture by simple radiography.
Amputation ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Foot ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Knee ; Radiography* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: Paraquat is a chemical which causes death in 30~80% of patients even after ingestion of small quantities. In spite of much studies, there are no successful treatment modalities or predictive parameters for determining the prognosis of the poisoning. The aims of this study were to evaluate plasma-paraquat concentration and initial laboratory and clinical data as prognostic parameters in patients with paraquat poisoning. METHODS: A retrospective analysis by chart review was done on 168 patients over three years who had ingested paraquat. The patients were divided into two subgroups based on survival and evaluated for ingested amounts of paraquat, the time between ingestion and treatment, urine dithionite test, and plasma paraquat concentration at the time of emergency department (ED) visit. Other clinical and laboratory factors such as age, sex, serum biochemical parameters, and severity index of paraquat poisoning (SIPP) were also analyzed. RESULTS: The plasma paraquat concentrations in the mortality group were higher than in the survival group (51.59+/-55.07 vs. 1.09+/-3.09 microgram/mL, p<0.001). The SIPP was higher in the mortality group as well (173.87+/-219.67 vs. 5.18+/-13.51 microgram/mL/hour). Among the laboratory data obtained in the ED, s-Potassium, s-Protein, arterial pH, PaCO2, bicarbonate, s-Albumin, s-Amylase, AST, BUN, s-Creatinine, and s-Glucose were significant factors which could affect the prognosis for paraquat poisoning. A Cox regression analysis revealed that plasma paraquat concentration, SIPP, s-Creatinine, s-Protein, s-Potassium and bicarbonate were associated with mortality. In addition, SIPP was more significantly correlated with mortality than plasma paraquat concentration (OR 1.362 vs. 1.011, p<0.001 vs. 0.019). CONCLUSION: Initial laboratory parameters including s-creatinine, s-protein, s-potassium, bicarbonate, plasma Paraquat concentration, and SIPP were significant prognostic factors. In addition, the author suggests that SIPP is a better index than plasma paraquat concentration for predicting the outcome of patients admitted for ingestion of paraquat.
Dithionite ; Eating ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Paraquat ; Plasma ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index

The authors tried to evaluate the effect of the growth factors on cell proliferation in the human retina astrocyte culture. Each growth factor, EGF, bFGF, GGF, IGF-1 or PDGF, together with BrdU was added to astrocytes-enriched cultures in the serum-free media. The proliferating effect of each growth factor was evaluated by a double immunofluo- rescenece labelling for GFAP and BrdU. By and addition of each growth factor, the number of retinal astrocytes at the synthetic stage significantly increased than those of control group (p<0.01). In comparision, PDGF was more potent than IGF-1 (p<0.01). Above data extended the concept of astrocytic proliferation caused by several growth factors in human retinal injury.
Astrocytes ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Proliferation ; Culture Media, Serum-Free ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins* ; Neuroglia* ; Retina ; Retinaldehyde*

Though the aetiology of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) remains uncertain, proteinase resistant prion protein (PrP-Sc), a converted form of the normal cellular prion protein (PrP-C), accumulates in the lysosome of cells of the nervous systems of animals with TSEs. In this study, clinical and epidemiological examinations of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) were conducted in Korea. During the investigated period, none of the cattle exhibited typical clinical signs of BSE, such as behavioral disturbances, high sensitivity, and abnormal locomotion. Immunohistochemical analysis and western immunoblotting were established to detect PrP-Sc in the brain tissue using monoclonal antibody (MAb) F89/160.1.5, produced by immunizing mice with a synthetic peptide which corresponds to bovine PrP residues 146-159, NH2-SRPLIHFGSDYEDRC-COOH. Although some BSE-like spongiform changes were observed in bovine brains randomly collected from Korean slaughterhouses from 1996 to 1999, no PrP-Sc was detected in those brains with the established immunohistochemistry and western immunoblotting assay. Also, no positive reaction was observed in bovine brains infected with rabies. These immunohistochemical and western immunoblotting methods using MAbs, specifically reactive with conserved epitopes on ruminant PrP, can be used for postmortem diagnosis of BSE. Further, the method can be applied to antemortem and the preclinical diagnosis of ovine scrapie by detecting PrP-Sc in lymphoid tissues, such as the tonsils, third eyelid or peripheral lymph nodes.
Abattoirs ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain/*pathology ; Brain Stem/pathology ; Cattle ; Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform/*epidemiology/pathology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Korea/epidemiology ; PrPSc Proteins/*analysis ; Sheep ; Sheep Diseases/*epidemiology/pathology

PURPOSE: Pralidoxime(2-PAM) is the mainstay of organophosphate intoxication management as an antidote. We investigated the usefulness of high-dose pralidoxime therapy. METHODS: From January 2000 to July 2003, 86 patients presented with organophosphate insecticide intoxication to the emergency medical center of Chonnam National University Hospital. They were randomized into two groups: Group I was given continuous IV infusion of pralidoxime in dose of 500 mg/hr after an initial bolus dose of 2 g and Group II was given continuous IV infusion of pralidoxime in dose of 1000 mg/hr after an initial bolus dose of 2 g. Both groups were given same therapeutic interventions, including the duration of atropine administration. The plasma cholinesterase activites were monitored at admission and at 24 hr and 48 hr after infusion of pralidoxime. The effectiveness of the two treatment modalities were gauged by comparing the durations of mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) stay. RESULTS: The mean durations of mechanical ventilation were 9.82+/-6.45 days in group I and 6.51+/-4.50 days in group II. The mean durations of ICU stay were 12.82+/- 7.69 days in group I and 9.15+/-5.38 days in group II. group I showed that longer durations of mechanical ventilation (p=0.03) and ICU stay( p<0.001). The plasma cholinesterase reactivation rate were higher in group II than in group I. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that continuous high-dose pralidoxime therapy may be helpful in the treatment of organophosphate intoxication.
Atropine ; Cholinesterases ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Jeollanam-do ; Plasma ; Respiration, Artificial

We experienced a case of cerebral hypoperfusion due to cyclosporine neurotoxocity confirmed only by Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT. A 53-year-old female had received allogenic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation due to refractory plasmacytoid lymphoma. Cyclosporine and steroid had been administrated to prevent graft versus host disease. Twenty days after transplantation, she became delirious and suffered from generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Immediately, brain MRI and MR angiography were performed and these studies did not show any abnormal findings. However, Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT showed diffuse hypoperfusion in the left cerebral hemisphere and blood cyclosporine level was 962.6 ng/ml. Cyclosporine administration was stopped and discontinuation of cyclosporine resulted in disappearance of all neurological symptoms. The same neurological symptoms recurred with cyclosporine re-administration for management of exacerbated graft versus host disease. In this case, Tc-99m ECD brain SPECT proved very helpful in the diagnosis of cycloporine neurotoxicity.
Angiography ; Brain ; Cerebrum ; Cyclosporine* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Seizures ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

PURPOSE: Thallium behaves similarly to potassium in vivo. Potassium channel opener (K-opener) opens ATP-sensitive K+/-channel located at cell membrane, resulting in potassium efflux from cytosol. We have previously reported that K-opener can alter biokinetics of Tl-201 in cultured cells and in vivo. Malignant tumor cells have high Na-K ATPase activity due to increased metabolic activities and dedifferentiation, and differential delineation of malignant tumor can be possible with Tl-201 imaging. K-opener may affect tumoral uptake of Tl-201 in vivo. To investigate the effects of pinacidil (one of the potent K-openers) on the localization of the tumor with Tl-201 chloride, we evaluated the changes in biodistribution of Tl-201 with pinacidil treatment in tumor-bearing mice. MATERAL AND METHODS: Balb/c mice received subcutaneous implantation of murine breast cancer cells in the thigh and were used for biodistribution study 3 weeks later. 100 microgram of pinacidil dissolved in 200 microliter DMSO/PBS solution was injected intravenously via tail vein at 10 min after 185 KBq (5 microcurie) Tl-201 injection. Percentage organ uptake and whole body retention ratio of Tl-201 were measured at various periods after injection, and values were compared between control and pinacidil-treated mice. RESULTS: Pinacidil treatment resulted in mild decrease in blood levels of Tl-201, but renal uptakes were markedly decreased at 30-min, 1- and 2-hour, compared to control group. Hepatic, intestinal and muscular uptake were not different. Absolute percentage uptake and tumor to blood ratios of Tl-201 were lower in pinacidil treated mice than in the control group at all time points measured. Whole body retention ratio of Tl-201 was lower in pinacidil treated mice (58+/-4%), than in the control group (67+/-3%) at 24 hours after with injection of 100 microgram pinacidil. CONCLUSION: K-opener did not enhance, but rather decreased absolute tumoral uptake and tumor-to-blood ratios of Tl-201. Decreased whole body retention ratio and renal uptake were observed with pinacidil treatment in tumor-bearing mice.
Adenosine Triphosphatases ; Animals ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cell Membrane ; Cells, Cultured ; Cytosol ; Mice* ; Pinacidil* ; Potassium ; Potassium Channels ; Thallium ; Thigh ; Veins