This experiment was designed to investigate the histochemical and ultrastructural changes of the proximal tubules and glomeruli of rabbits treated with cyclosporin A (CsA) or cyclosporin A and concomitant administration of prednisolone (PD). Rabbits were given with CsA for 1 week (CsAlW) and for 2 weeks (CsA2W) and CsA plus PD for 1 week (CsA +PDIW) and for 2 weeks (CsA+PD2W). The dose of CsA was 5mg/kg/day i.v. and PD was 1 mg/kg/day i.m. At 1 week and 2 weeks after the treatments, the following items were studied of alkaline phosphatase (ALPase). peroxidase, 5'-nucleotidase (SNU) with the ultrastructural enzymatic changes and electron microscopic changes. CsAlW, CsA2W and CsA +PD2W groups showed a decrease of ALPase activity and CsA+PD2W and CsA2W groups showed weakly increased peroxidase activity CsA2W and CsA+PD2W showed a decrease of 5NU activity. Ultrastructural changes of CsAlW CsA2W and CsA+PD2W groups revealed swollen and disrupted mitochondria, loss of brush border in the proximal tubules and thickening of basement membranes, edematous podocytes and fusion of root processes of podocytes in the glomeruli showing the early stage of nephrotoxicity. The concomitant treatment of PD with CsA eased the nephrotoxicity of CsA within 1 week after the treatment.
5'-Nucleotidase ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Basement Membrane ; Cyclosporine* ; Kidney* ; Microvilli ; Mitochondria ; Peroxidase ; Podocytes ; Prednisolone* ; Rabbits

No abstract available.
Chondrocytes* ; Ear* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins*

The Dandy-Walker syndrome is a developmental disorders of the brain characterized by cystic deformity of the 4th ventricle and agensis of the cerebellar vermis. Other systemic anomalies and chromosomal abnormalities are associated with this syndrome. We are experienced a case in a 9 months old male infant who presented initially with frequent vomiting, low birth weight, On the physical examination, a prominent occiput, palpable mass below the right upper quadrant, pulmonary valve stenosis, congenital dislocation of the hips, ventral flexion of fingers, clubfoots and the rocker-bottom deformities of feet were present. On the chromosomal study, there were chromosomal polymorphisms in a thickened C-band of chromosome No. 1 by C-banding method. The brain CT revealed a large, thin-walled, low density mass of CSF without enhancement in the posterior fossa, showing upward displacement of cerebellar hemisphere with absent inferior vermis(or associated with dysplastic cerebellar hemisphere). A brief review of the related literatures were included in this report.
Brain ; Chromosome Aberrations* ; Clubfoot ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Dandy-Walker Syndrome* ; Dislocations ; Fingers ; Foot ; Hip ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Pulmonary Valve Stenosis ; Vomiting

Since 1967 the STA-MCA anastomosis has been popular procedure in neurosurgical operation. The meurosurgical teams at St. Paul's Hospital, Catholic Medical College, recently operated on 8 patients employing 9 times of this technique. The patients were diagnosed as four patients with complete stroke, one with traumatic middle cerebral stenosis, two with moyamoya disease, and one with huge aneurysm at intracavernous portion of ICA. The results were very encouraging of the 8 patients, 7 had favorably improved clinically, and proved by follow-up cerebral angiographies, CT Scanning, EEG or MEP recordings. The remaining one patient had intracerebral and intracerebellar hematoma, two months later after discharge, thus the result was poor. The authors would like to share with you their experiences employing the STA-MCA anastomosis technique, indications the results and the prognosis.
Aneurysm ; Cerebral Angiography ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Electroencephalography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Moyamoya Disease ; Prognosis ; Stroke ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Aging* ; Erythrocytes* ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation*

From February 1996 to May 1997, 18 patients underwent mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation. There were 9 male and 9 female patients aged from 19 to 68 years (mean, 53). Thirteen patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III and IV. The cause of mitral regurgitation was degenerative in 12 patients, rheumatic in 5 patients and infective in 1 patient. Fifteen patients were in Carpentier's functional classification II, 2 patients in Carpentier's class III and 1 patient in Carpentier's class I. Surgical procedures included prosthetic ring annuloplasty (16 cases), rectangular resection of posterior leaflet (15 cases), chordal shortening (5 cases), triangular resection of anterior leaflet (2 cases), commissurotomy (2 cases), partial transposition of posterior leaflet (1 case). These procedures were combined in most patients. There was no operative death. These patients have been followed from 1 to 15 months, mean of 6.7 months. There was one late death resulted from low cardiac output following mitral valve replacement. The function of the repaired valve in other 17 patients has remained satisfactory during the observed interval. We consider that mitral valve repair is highly satisfactory in patients with mitral regurgitation.
Cardiac Output, Low ; Classification ; Female ; Heart ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Mitral Valve*

No abstract available.
Female ; Fibronectins* ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced* ; Plasma* ; Pregnancy*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of the cutoff size for a localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by assessing the survival of RCC patients according to a series of alternative size cutoff values. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The outcomes of 147 patients with localized RCC, treated by radical nephrectomy at our institution, between 1984 and 2004, were retrospectively evaluated. The mean follow-up period was 54.9+/-32.5 months. The survival of patients with tumors smaller than a specified size cutoff was compared with that of tumors larger than the cutoff, and the most discriminating cutoff identified. RESULTS: 114 and 33 patients were pT1 (77.6%) and pT2 (22.4%), respectively. There were 10 recurrences (8.8%) and 6 deaths (5.3%) in the pT1 group, and 8 recurrences (24.2%) and 8 deaths (24.2%) in the pT2 group. The differences in survival were maximized when the tumor size cutoff point was 7cm (cancer-specific survival rate: 92.0% vs. 71.5% p=0.0003, diseasefree survival rate: 88.5% vs. 69.1% p=0.0092). The next significant difference was observed with a cutoff of 4cm (cancer-specific survival rate: 96.0% vs. 83.7% p=0.0467, disease-free survival rate: 96.0% vs. 78.8% p=0.0121). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size is an important prognostic factor in patients with an organ confined RCC. The established cutoff point of 7cm provided reasonable prognostic differences. A 4cm cutoff point is also feasible for separating groups with different survivals after a nephrectomy. Hence, the T1a/1b/T2 classification system is practical for the division of localized RCC.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Classification ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Neoplasm Staging ; Nephrectomy ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

No abstract available.
Leiomyoma*

This study examined the effect of excess calcium (Ca) on the iron (Fe) bioavailability and bone growth of marginally Fe deficient animals. Two groups of weanling female SD rats were fed either normal Fe (35 ppm) or Fe deficient diet (8 ppm) for 3 weeks. Then each group of animals were assigned randomly to one of three groups and were fed one of six experimental diets additionally for 4 weeks, containing normal (35 ppm) or low (15 ppm) Fe and one of three levels of Ca as normal (0.5%), high (1.0%), or excess (1.5%). Feces and urine were collected during the last 3 days of treatment. After sacrifice blood, organs, and femur bone were collected for analysis. Final body weight and average food intake were not affected by either the levels of dietary Ca or Fe. Low Fe diet significantly reduced the level of serum ferritin, however, for Hb, Hct, and TIBC no difference was shown than those in the normal Fe group. TIBC increased slightly by high and excess Ca intake in low Fe groups. For both normal and low Fe groups, high and excess Ca intakes reduced the apparent absorption of Fe and Fe contents of liver significantly (p < 0.05). Calcium contents in kidney and Femur of rats that were fed high and excess levels of Ca were significantly greater than those of normal Ca groups. However, weight, length, and breaking force of the bone were not affected by increased Ca intakes. Both in control and low Fe groups, high and excess intakes of Ca decreased the apparent absorption of Ca. These results indicate that the excess intakes of calcium than the normal needs would be undesirable for Fe bioavailability and that the adverse effects be more serious in marginally iron deficient growing animals. In addition bone growth and strength would not be favorably affected by high Ca intakes, though, the long term effect of increased Ca contents in bone requires further examination.
Absorption ; Animals ; Biological Availability* ; Body Weight ; Bone Development* ; Calcium* ; Diet ; Eating ; Feces ; Female ; Femur ; Ferritins ; Humans ; Iron* ; Kidney ; Liver ; Rats*