BACKGROUND: Sun exposure and therapeutic irradiation have been shown to induce alterations in extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, including elastin, glycosaminoglycan and collagens. The integrity of the connective tissue mainly depends on balanced rates of matrix synthesis and degradation of the extracellular matrix. Therefore, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) may be involved in ultraviolet irradiation (UVR)-induced alterations in ECM proteins. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of UVA as well as UVB irradiations on ST-1 gene expression in cultured human skin fibroblasts. METHODS: After exposure of different doses of UVA and UVB on cultured human skin fibroblasts, we examined the expression of ST-1 gene by Northern blot analysis, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) assay with CAT construct containing AP-1 binding site. Additionally, we carried out the gel mobility shift assay to investigate the effects of UVR on the DNA-binding activity of AP-1. RESULTS: After UVR on fibroblasts, the steady-state levels of ST-1 mRNA were in-creased in response to UVA and UVB by 2.5-fold and 4.2-fold, respectively, as compared with controls. Similar results were obtained by CAT assay showing that CAT activity increased as the UVA and UVB doses increased. Furthermore, gel mobility shift assay demonstrated that both UVA and UVB increased AP-1 DNA binding complexes. CONCLUSION: UVB as well as UVA up-regulated ST-1 gene expression at transcriptional levels in vitro. We speculate that modulation of MMPs, including ST-1, gene expression by UVR may contribute to the connective tissue damage related to photoaging and other photocutaneous disorders.
Animals ; Binding Sites ; Blotting, Northern ; Cats ; Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase ; Collagen ; Connective Tissue ; DNA ; Elastin ; Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay ; Extracellular Matrix ; Fibroblasts* ; Gene Expression ; Humans* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin ; Solar System ; Transcription Factor AP-1

No abstract available.
Intestinal Atresia*

No abstract available.
Intestinal Atresia*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Leg* ; Skin*

The authors retrospectively analysed the ultrasonographic findings of 43 cases of surgically confirmed hypertrophic pyloric stenosis and their postoperative findings of sonograms taken at 1 month(n=40) or 3 months( n=5) after pyloromyotomy. In preoperative study, the thickened pyloric muscle was isoechoic or slight hypoechoic relative to liver on the midline longitudinal view and appeared as a "nonuniform acoustic ring" on the transverse view. The results of measurement in the all cases with hypertrophic pyloric stenosis were the pyloric thickness ≥3.8mm, the pyloric diameter ≥14mm, the pyloric channel length ≥16mm, the pyloric muscle volume ≥2.21Cm
Acoustics ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Liver ; Methods ; Pyloric Stenosis, Hypertrophic ; Reference Values ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography*

No abstract available.
Renal Dialysis* ; Urea*

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Joints* ; Tuberculosis, Osteoarticular*

No abstract available.
Constriction, Pathologic ; Stents

OBJECTIVES: The present study was performed to investigate whether estrogen and progesterone induce the change of vascular tone in endothelium-denuded human uterine artery and vascular reactivity may be mediated by intracelluar calcium modulation through receptor- and voltage-dependent calcium channels. METHODS: The uterine arteries were obtained at the time of hysterectomy from 28 women followed by denudation of endothelium. After confirmation of functional integrity of endothelium-denuded uterine artery, vascular reactivity was measured by using isometric force transducer and recorded by physiograph. Contraction was induced by 10-6 M norepinephrine and 35mM high concentrated potassium chloride solution which activated receptor-dependent calcium channel and voltage-dependent calcium channel, respectively.Thereafter estradiol of 4 different concentrations from 3x10-11M to 3x10-8M was administered. Progesterone was also administered to endothelium-denuded uterine artery which was contracted by 10-6M norepinephrine and high potassium chloride solution. To evaluate the effect of additional progesterone on vascular smooth muscle relaxation effect of estrogen,4 different progesterones in concentrations from 3x10-8M to 3x10-5M were given to vascular smooth muscle which was initially pretreated with norepinephrine followed by relaxation of estradiol. RESULTS: Estradiols from 3x10-11M to 3x10-8M showed in significant dose-dependent vascular relaxation. Progesterones result in significant decrease in vascular contraction in concentration dependent manner. Additional progesterone on estrogenic effects also results in significant decrease in vascular contraction. CONCLUSION: Estradiol may have endothelium independent vasorelaxation effect in human uterine artery. These vasorelaxant effects may be mediated through antagonistic action for receptor-and voltage-dependent calcium channels in vascular smooth muscle. Progesterone also bring about vasorelaxation by same action in endothelium-denuded vascular smooth muscle. On estrogen induced vascular relaxation, progesterone results in additional vasorelaxation.
Calcium ; Calcium Channels ; Endothelium ; Estradiol ; Estrogens* ; Female ; Humans* ; Hysterectomy ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Norepinephrine ; Potassium Chloride ; Progesterone* ; Relaxation ; Transducers ; Uterine Artery* ; Vasodilation