This study aimed to investigate the existence of GABA receptor and the mechanisms of action of GABA and diazepam of the trachealis muscle isolated from dog. Horizontal muscle strips of 2mm×15mm were prepared from canine trachea, and isometric myography in isolated muscle chamber bubbled with 95/5%-O₂/CO₂ at 36℃, at the pH of 7.4 was performed. Muscle strips contracted responding to the electrical field stimulation (ESP) by 2~20 Hz, 20 msec, monophasic square wave of 60 VDC. GABA and diazepam suppressed the EFS-induced contractions to the similar extent, significantly. (p<0.05). Bicuculline, a GABA(A) receptor antagonist blocked both GABA- and diazepam-inhibitions; but DAVA, a GABA(B) receptor antagoinst did not affect either of them. These results suggest than in the canine trachealis muscle, there may be only GABA(A) receptor, and GABA and diazepam inhibit the contractility via GABA(A) receptor.
Animals ; Bicuculline ; Diazepam ; Dogs ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid* ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Myography ; Receptors, GABA ; Receptors, GABA-A ; Trachea

BACKGROUND: Anesthesiologists often encounter patients who have acute, massive blood loss and severe hemodilution as the result of fluid therapy in the operating room. It is known that patients with normal heart function survive at hemoglobin 4 6 g/dl. Recently, the incidence of elderly patients with ischemic heart disease have been increasing progressively but studies about critical hematocrit level in patients with ischemic heart disease are rare. This study, therefore, was designed to evaluate the hemodynamic response of isovolemic hemodilution in myocardial ischemia-induced dogs. METHODS: In 12 anesthetized dogs, a Swan-Ganz catheter and left ventricle catheter were inserted and hemodynamic parameters were measured as control values. Myocardial ischemia was induced with a left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery ligation. Thereafter, isovolemic hemodilutions were done several times to set the hematocrit levels of 36%, 31%, 26%, 21%, 16%, and 11%. Records and samples for hemodynamic parameters were obtained after LAD ligation and at each hematocrit level. RESULTS: There were significant decreases in diastolic blood pressures in hematocrits 21%, 16%, 11%, in mean arterial pressures in hematocrits 16%, 11% and in systolic blood pressure in hematocrit 11% (P < 0.05). Oxygen delivery progressively decreased in hematocrits 36%, 31%, 26%, 21%, 16% and 11% (P < 0.05). Oxygen extraction ratios progressively increased and were statistically significant in hematocrits 21%, 16% and 11% (P < 0.05). Arterial blood gases showed metabolic acidosis in hematocrits 16% and 11%. There was decreased PCO2 in hematocrit 11% (P < 0.05). Mixed venous blood oxy-hemoglobin saturation decreased in hematocrit 16% and 11% (P < 0.05). Other variables were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Blood pressure decreased at hematocrit 16% so it is necessary to maintain a hematocrit level above 21% at least in cardiac depressed dogs.
Acidosis ; Aged ; Animals ; Arterial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Coronary Vessels ; Dogs* ; Fluid Therapy ; Gases ; Heart ; Heart Ventricles ; Hematocrit ; Hemodilution* ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Ligation ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Operating Rooms ; Oxygen

No abstract available.
DNA* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin*

BACKGROUND: Analysis of body fluids provides important information for assessing various medical conditions. We aimed to validate the analytical and diagnostic performance of the Sysmex UF-5000 (Sysmex, Japan) system for the analysis of different body fluids. METHODS: Eighty body fluid samples were analyzed using the UF-5000 system in the body fluid mode and light microscopy. Body fluids included ascitic, pleural, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as well as other fluid samples. RESULTS: A comparison between the UF-5000 system and manual counting demonstrated good correlations with regard to red (r=0.6555) and white blood cell (r=0.9666) counts. The UF-5000 system also demonstrated good performance for differential cell counting (r=0.9028). CSF particularly showed a good correlation. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the UF-5000 system for cell counting and differential analysis of body fluid samples might be an effective and automated alternative to chamber counting in laboratory routine analysis, thereby enhancing laboratory workflow and clinical effectiveness.
Automation ; Body Fluids ; Cell Count ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Erythrocytes ; Leukocytes ; Methods ; Microscopy ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND: Automated systems are used widely for pre-transfusion tests in blood banks, in an attempt to reduce effort and human error. We evaluated the clinical performance of an automated blood bank system, ORTHO VISION (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Switzerland), for blood cross-matching. METHODS: Saline cross-matching was performed for 93 tests using 56 samples. Coombs cross-matching was performed for 400 tests using 166 samples. Saline cross-matching was compared for the automated ORTHO VISION and manual tube methods. Coombs cross-matching was compared for the automated ORTHO VISION and manual column agglutination technique (CAT) methods. The evaluation of 32 antibody-positive samples using the automated ORTHO VISION and manual CAT methods was compared by performing 97 cross-matching tests. Additionally, the ORTHO VISION efficiency and carryover were evaluated. RESULTS: The concordance rate of the saline cross-matching results between the manual method and automated ORTHO VISION was 100%. The concordance rate of coombs cross-matching results between manual CAT and automated ORTHO VISION was 97.9%. The concordance rate of cross-matching for antibody positive samples between manual CAT and the automated ORTHO VISION was 97.9%. Coombs cross-matching was efficient using ORTHO VISION, whereas saline cross-matching was efficient using the tube manual method. CONCLUSIONS: ORTHO VISION showed reliable results for cross-matching and was more efficient than manual CAT for coombs cross-matching. Thus, ORTHO VISION can be used for pre-transfusion tests in blood banks.
Agglutination ; Animals ; Automation ; Blood Banks ; Cats ; Humans ; Methods

No abstract available.
Blood Cell Count ; Bone Marrow Cells/metabolism/pathology ; Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multiple Myeloma/complications/*diagnosis/pathology ; Paraproteinemias/diagnosis ; Syndecan-1/metabolism

Carbapenemase production has been reported worldwide in gram-negative bacteria, including Acinetobacter species. We detected carbapenemase-producing Acinetobacter pittii in clinical isolates in Daejeon, Korea. Twenty-one ertapenem-resistant A. pittii isolates screened with a disk diffusion method were characterized by using the Epsilon test, four multiplex PCR assays, and a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme. A total of 21 A. pittii isolates harbored the metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) gene bla(IMP-1) or bla(NDM-1). Nineteen isolates containing bla(IMP-1) were resistant to imipenem and meropenem, but two isolates harboring bla(NDM-1) were susceptible to them. The sequence types (STs) of the two New Delhi MBL (NDM-1)-producing A. pittii isolates were ST70 and ST207, which differed from the STs (ST63, ST119, ST396, and a novel ST) of the IMP-1-producing A. pittii. This is the first report on NDM-1-producing A. pittii isolates in Korea. Our results emphasize that the study of NDM-1-producing gram-negative bacteria should involve carbapenem-susceptible as well as carbapenem-resistant isolates.
Acinetobacter* ; Diffusion ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Imipenem ; Korea ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction

BACKGROUND: Multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae is a worldwide problem. Although various resistance mechanisms have been recognized with increasing frequency, only a few cases of triple resistance of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae have been reported. This study was designed to evaluate the coexistence of qnr (qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS) and 16S rRNA methylase (armA, rmtA, rmtB, and rmtC) in ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae. METHODS: We tested 44 isolates of ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae at Chungnam National University Hospital from March to September 2006. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by broth microdilution method, and transconjugation test was performed using E. coli J53 with azide resistance. Search for qnr (qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS) and 16S rRNA methylase (armA, rmtA, rmtB, and rmtC) genes was conducted by PCR amplification, and the genotypes were determined by direct nucleotide sequence analysis of the amplified products. Epidemiologic study was performed by Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR (ERIC-PCR). RESULTS: All ESBL-positive strains produced qnrB; however, armA was detected in 68.2%. The coproduction rate of qnrB and armA in ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae was 68.2%. Two types (A and B) were dominant in ERIC-PCR results. CONCLUSIONS: K. pneumoniae producing qnrB, armA, and ESBL are spreading widely.
Bacterial Proteins/biosynthesis/*genetics ; Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial/genetics ; Humans ; Klebsiella Infections/microbiology ; Klebsiella pneumoniae/drug effects/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Methyltransferases/biosynthesis/*genetics ; beta-Lactamases/biosynthesis/drug effects/*genetics

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing albuminuria by measuring the urinary albumin-creatinine ratios (UACR) is important for the early detection of kidney diseases in patients with diabetes or hypertension. Currently, a few point-of-care testing (POCT) systems exist for estimating the UACR. Here, we evaluated the performance characteristics of two semi-quantitative UACR POCT assays. METHODS: Albumin and creatinine levels were quantified for 219 randomly acquired urine samples with the Toshiba TBA-200FR NEO analyzer, and the UACR were calculated. The results were compared to UACR measured using the CLINITEK Microalbumin 2 Strip (Siemens, USA) and URiSCAN 2 ACR Strip (YD diagnostics, Korea) POCT assays. RESULTS: Semi-quantitative results from the CLINITEK and URiSCAN UACR assays showed that the sensitivity and specificity of each test were, respectively, 96.7% and 62.7%, and 45.9% and 84.8%. Positive and negative predictive values of the CLINITEK and URiSCAN tests were, respectively, 50.0% and 98.0%, and 53.8% and 80.2%. The rate of agreement between URiSCAN test and CLINITEK test was 91.1% in the normal UACR range (<30 mg/g), but it was as low as 36.4% in the abnormal UACR range (> or =30 mg/g). CONCLUSIONS: The URiSCAN test showed higher specificity than did the CLINITEK test owing to the lower false positive results. However, the high rate of false negatives for the URiSCAN test significantly lowered its sensitivity and negative predictive values. Therefore, the sensitivity of the URiSCAN device in detecting urine albumin needs to be improved before its adoption as a reliable rule-out testing system.
Albuminuria ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Kidney Diseases ; Sensitivity and Specificity

No abstract available.
DNA*