Recent reports suggest that the responses of the detrusor muscle to the hypogastric nerve stimulation and some autonomic drugs may not be identical among various species. In this study, the responses of the isolated detrusor muscle strips of the Amyda Japonica and the rabbit to catecholamines were compared, and the type of the adrenergic-receptors was investigated. The results obtained were as follows : 1. Catecholamines (norepinephrine and epinephrine) evoked only contraction in the isolated detrusor muscle of the Amyda Japonica and relaxation in the preparation of the rabbit. 2. The contraction-response in the Amyda Japonica was blocked in the presence of regitine, an adrenergic alpha-receptor blocking agent. 3. The relaxation-response in the rabbit was abolished by pre-treatment with propranolol, an adrenergic beta-receptor blocking agent. 4. Acetylcholine elicited contraction in both of the isolated detrusor muscle strips of the Amyda japonica and the rabbit, and the response was completely blocked in the presence of atropine. 5. The results described above suggest that catecholamines exert excitatory effect on the detrusor muscle of the Amyda japonica as it contains adrenergic alpha-receptors and inhibitory effect on the same preparation of the rabbit as it contains the adrenergic beta-receptors. Key Word : amyda japonica,alpha receptor, beta receptor.
Acetylcholine ; Atropine ; Autonomic Agents* ; Catecholamines ; Phentolamine ; Propranolol ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha ; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta ; Relaxation

The resistance of neoplastic cells to chemotherapeutic agents may develops by a variety mechanisms. One of these mechanisms seems to be the amplification or overexpression of the multidrug resistance(MDR) gene. The MDR phenotype is conferred by a 170kD membrane protein, P-glycoprotein. This protein acts as a drug efflux pump for a variety of structurally unrelated antineoplastic agents, especially hydrophobic natural products such as adriamycin and vincristine. In the present study, immunohistochemical stain for P-glycoprotein was performed in paraffin section of 41 specimens of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder obtained prior to chemotherapy to investigate the usefulness of P-glycoprotein as a predictor of response to M-VAC ( methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin and cisplatin) chemotherapy. The overall clinical response rate to chemotherapy was 65.9%. The overall 3- year survival rate was 63%, with 80% in responder group( clinical complete and partial remission) and 36.3% non-responder group(minor response, stabilization and progression ) (P<0.05). In the responder group, 7.4% expressed strongly positive P-glycoprotein, 63% weakly positive and 29.6% negative. In the non-responder group, 28.6% expressed strongly positive P-glycoprotein, 64.3% weakly positive and 7.1% negative. The negative expression rate was high in responder group than non-responder, but this difference was not statistically significant. There was no correlation of expression of P-glycoprotein with either tumor stages or grades. In conclusion, these results suggest that tumors with negative expression of P-glycoprotein seem to have a better clinical response to chemotherapy, and further investigation of other mechanisms of cellular drug resistance should be required.
Antineoplastic Agents ; Biological Products ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Doxorubicin ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Therapy* ; Membrane Proteins ; Methotrexate ; P-Glycoprotein* ; Paraffin ; Phenotype ; Survival Rate ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Vinblastine ; Vincristine

Renal cell carcinoma in children is extremely rare as compared with Wilms` tumor. A case of renal cell carcinoma in an 8-year-old boy is presented with a brief review of literature.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Child ; Humans ; Male

No abstract available.
Adenoma, Pleomorphic ; Mouth Mucosa

This article provides an update on tinnitus for audiologists and other clinicians who provide tinnitus-specific services. Tinnitus can be attributable to hearing loss, somatosensory system dysfunction, or auditory cortex dysfunction, with hearing loss being the most common cause and serious underlying pathologies being rare. Hearing loss does not always lead to tinnitus, and patients with tinnitus do not always suffer from hearing loss. The first scenario is explained by a so-called inhibitory gating mechanism, whereas the second assumes that all tinnitus sufferers have some degree of hearing impairment, which might not be detected in standard audiological examinations. The treatments should aim at symptomatic relief and management of associated distress. Current treatment options include pharmacotherapy, education, counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, and sound therapy.

Distraction osteogenesis refers to the biological process responsible for new bone formation between bone segments by gradual distraction after osteotomy. For the past several years, various inconveniences including a protracted consolidation period that requires patients to wear a distractor frame longer, as well as higher medical costs, have not been remedied by improvements in osteotomy, distraction rate and monitoring system. Furthermore, side effects such as pin tract infections and soft tissue swelling may arise due to the long treatment period. These drawbacks form the rationale of this study which purports to seek a method by which the consolidation period can be reduced. This paper examines how platelet-rich plasma (PRP), known to facilitate osteogenesis, influences bone formation when applied in distracted area. Ten mongrel dogs, which were made to wear external distractor frames after osteotomy in both sides of the mandible, were used as subjects. After a 7day period of latency, distraction was carried out at a rate of 1mm/day for 14 consecutive days. After the onset of distraction, 2ml of PRP and a mixture of calcium gluconate and thrombine were injected into the center of the distracted callus on the left side of the mandible. The left was injected with PRP while the right side was set as the control site without PRP treatment. Execution at the onset of distraction and in 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after the consolidation period, clinical and radiographic tests, bone mineral density examination, histological examination and histomorphometric analysis were conducted to compare both sides. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Based on the clinical examination at two weeks, more remarkable cortical bone formation was found on the buccal and lingual side of the distracted area in the PRP treatment site than in the control site. No visual difference was found between the PRP treatment site and the control site at four and eight weeks. 2. Based on the radiological examination, a distinct increase in the radiopaque appearance of the PRP treatment site was revealed at two weeks, but this increase appeared to slow down at four and eight weeks. 3. Examination of bone mineral density revealed a significant difference at two weeks with the PRP treatment site yielding density two times higher than the control site. This difference lessened after four weeks, and disappeared at eight weeks. 4. The histomorphometric examination revealed that about 20% more bony trabeculae area (20% higher) was formed in the PRP treatment site than in the control site. In conclusion, it can be said that PRPs effect on stimulating bone formation in the PRP treatment site manifest as early as two weeks. Trabeculae formation likewise increased throughout the whole period. If this result can be applied to humans, the consolidation period can be reduced by injecting PRP into the distracted area.
Animals ; Biological Processes ; Bone Density ; Bony Callus ; Calcium Gluconate ; Dogs ; Humans ; Mandible* ; Osteogenesis* ; Osteogenesis, Distraction ; Osteotomy ; Platelet-Rich Plasma* ; Thrombin

Ectopic thoracic kidney is an extremely rare developmental anomaly. Most cases are discovered incidentally on a routine chest roentgenogram. Since the ectopic thoracic kidney may be mistaken for a space-occupying lesion originating above the diaphragm, it is of clinical and diagnostic importance to the thoracic surgeon. We report a case of ectopic thoracic kidney that was diagnosed by chest roentgenogram, intravenous pyelogram, computerized tomogram, and aortogram.
Diaphragm ; Kidney* ; Thorax

Cavernous hemangioma is a congenital, benign vascular tumor occurring in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Scrotal involvement is rare. A case of cavernous hemangioma of scrotum in a 2-year-old child is reported here with review of the literature.
Child* ; Child, Preschool ; Dermis ; Hemangioma ; Hemangioma, Cavernous* ; Humans ; Scrotum* ; Subcutaneous Tissue

Building a database file in the medical literature using personal computer enables individualized computer user to search with a small amount of time and effort. We developed a computer program for searching medical literature. This program was developed with Clipper database language, and runs on IBM-PC-compatible computers. The data is based on the Index of Korean Journal of Urology which was revised in 1991. The program is focused on the function of retrieving and printing of keywords, authors and titles, etc. We expect more advanced and beneficial program for searching of medical literature based on this program.
Microcomputers ; Urology*

A fistulous communication between the kidney and the colon is rare. The underlying cause is usually a pyonephrotic kidney which becomes adherent to a portion of the colon and then ruptures spontaneously, thus creating a fistula. We present a case of tuberculous renocolonic fistula which occurred in a 7-year-old boy with review of the literature.
Child ; Colon ; Fistula* ; Humans ; Kidney ; Male ; Rupture ; Tuberculosis