No abstract available.
Aging* ; Humans ; Male* ; Reproduction*

No abstract available.
Aging* ; Humans ; Male* ; Reproduction*

The new president was elected unusually within short period, because of the president's impeachment. As the result, policy window as the president's election was rarely opened in healthcare sector. The new government has to overcome the era of aged society, low birth rate, and low economic growth rate and to prepare the unification of nation. The new government should set the priority of healthcare policies through a holistic and systematic approach. And the new government must implement a balanced healthcare policy with equity and efficiency, regulation and support, consumers and suppliers, in-kind benefits and cash benefits, and so on.
Birth Rate ; Delivery of Health Care ; Economic Development ; Health Care Sector ; Health Policy*

No abstract available.
Korea*

No abstract available.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Schizophrenia*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the scavenging effect of carnitine derivatives on oxidative damage to sperm during sperm processing cryopreservation and thawing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fresh semen samples from 20 normal healthy volunteers were collected by masturbation after at least 48 hours abstinence. After liquefaction of semen samples at room temperature, the specimens were diluted with sperm wash media (Ham's F-10, Life technologics) to a uniform density of 20x106/ml. L-carnitine or acetylcarnitine were added with various concentration of 0 micrometer, 10 micrometer, 30 micrometer in semen sample or cryoprotectant. All specimens were cryopreservated at -196degrees C LN2 for 3 days. Sperm motility, vitality, fertilizing capacity, reactive oxygen species formation and the level of lipid peroxidation were analyzed by computer assisted semen analyzer, eosin-nigrosin stain, hypo-osmotic swelling test, chemiluminescence and thiobarbituric acid method, respectively, during sperm processing, cryopreservation and thawing. RESULTS: The sperm motility was only increased in proportion to the concentration of acetylcarnitine with no statistical significance (p>0.05). The sperm vitality was also significantly improved in proportion to the concentration of acetylcarnitine with statistical significance (p<0.05). The sperm fertilizing capacity was significantly increased in proportion to the concentration of L-carnitine and acetylcarnitine and reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation were significantly decreased with same fashion(p<0.05). On comparison of effects between L-carnitine and acetylcarnitine, acetylcarnitine was superior to L-carnitine on the improvement of sperm motility and vitality as well as the suppression of reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that carnitine derivatives have a scavenging effect against oxidative damages during sperm processing, cryopreservation and thawing. Therefore, carnitine derivatives may be useful as an oral antioxidant in patients with male infertility due to increased ROS generation.
Acetylcarnitine* ; Carnitine* ; Cryopreservation ; Healthy Volunteers ; Humans ; Infertility, Male ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Luminescence ; Male ; Masturbation ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Semen ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa*

No abstract available.
Disasters*

BACKGROUND: The paired vestibular end organs lie within the semicircular canal of the inner ear in the temporal bones. It plays a role on the control of posture through the vestibuloocular reflex and the vestibulo-spinal reflex. Motion sickness-like symptoms induced by the abnormal stimulation of the vestibular system suggested that the vestibular system participate in the autonomic nervous function. The present study was carried out to determine the role of the vestibular system on the control of blood pressure by way of the autonomic nervous system. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured by means of pressure transducer during stimulation of the vestibular system or following bilateral labyrinthectomies in Sprague-Dawley rats weighing from 200 to 300g. RESULTS: 1) Blood pressure was elevated by electrical stimulation of the vestibular nerve. 2) Also, the pressure was elevated when the vestibular system was excited or inhibited by rotatory stimulation or galvanic stimulation. 3) The pattern of elevation in blood pressure which induced by electrical stimulation of the vestibular nucleus showed a dynamic response at stimulation frequency of 200Hz and a static response at 50Hz. 4) Elevation of blood pressure induced by vestibular sitmulation was more inhibited following bilateral cervical sympathectomies than following bilateral vagotomies. 5) Decreasing the blood pressure induced by positional change of the body was reinforced following bilateral labyrinthectomies. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the vestibular system plays a role on the control of blood pressure by way of the autonomic nervous system as well as on the control of posture, therefore, the vestibular system prevents blood pressure from decreasing by positional change of the body.
Animals ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Blood Pressure* ; Ear, Inner ; Electric Stimulation ; Posture ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reflex ; Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular ; Semicircular Canals ; Sympathectomy ; Temporal Bone ; Transducers, Pressure ; Vagotomy ; Vestibular Nerve

OBJECTIVE: The effects on spermatogenesis by expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Testicular specimens were obtained from 40 infertile males due to primary testicular failure and from 10 fertile males with other urologic problems. The specimens of infertile males were devided into 4 groups according to histologic findings; Sertoli cell only syndrome (A), maturation arrest (B), hypospermatogenesis (C) and sloughing and disorganization (D). VEGF and ET-1 expression were detected with immunohistochemical stain. RESULTS: VEGF expression on Leydig cell was detected in all cases. But, VEGF expression rates on germ cell were significantly higher in infertile group B, C, D compared to that of the control group (p<0.05). ET-1 expression rates on Leydig cell was significantly lower in all infertile group compared to that of the control group (p<0.05). But, ET-1 expression rates on Sertoli cell was significantly higher in all infertile group compared to that of the control group (p>0.05). In germ cell of infertile group, LH, FSH and prolactin were significantly decreased, and estradiol is increased in positive stain group on ET-1 immunohistochemical stain (p<0.05). VEGF and ET-1 expression were not correlated mean seminiferous tubule diameter (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal spermatogenesis would be reflected in VEGF expression in germ cell.
Endothelin-1* ; Estradiol ; Germ Cells ; Humans ; Male ; Oligospermia ; Prolactin ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Sertoli Cell-Only Syndrome ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Since the male sterilization (vasectomy) has been performed on a large scale as an accepted family planning in Korea on 1980s and this, in turn, has been followed by an increase in the number of patients requesting vasovasostomy. We studies 1000 consecutive cases of vasovasostomy performed from January 1975 to July 1995 in Pusan National University Hospital. In this report, we are going to present serial studies of vasovasostomy through which we attempted to find out what factors are of impotence in influencing the successful outcome of vasovasostomy operation. We inquired the operative results data through the questionnaire and telephone interview with survey of medical records. A total of 259 cases was excluded due to the loss of follow-up. The overall patency and pregnancy rates of 741 cases were 86.9% and 51.1%, respectively. The age of man at the time of anastomosis ranged from 23 to 57 years old with an average of 34.9. The most frequent reason for requesting vasovasostomy was the desire to have more children (43.4%). The average obstructive interval was 60.6 months with range from 1 to 264 months. If the obstructive interval had been less than S years patency rate was 92.4% and pregnancy rate 64.8%, but 6 years or more 84.1% and 48.5% p<0.01, p<0.01). Patency and pregnancy rates according to intraoperative vas fluid were 93.1% and 62.8% for presence and 83.7% and 53.1% for absence p<0.01, p<0.05). Patency and pregnancy rates according to histologically proven sperm granuloma at vasectomy site were 87.7% and 49.2% for presence and 86.9% and 50.6% for absence (p>0.05, p<0.05). Patency and pregnancy rates were not significantly different between microscopic standard vasovasostomy (88.4%, 64.3%) and modified vasovasostomy (89.5%, 56.3%)(p>0.05, p>0.05). Both patency and pregnancy rates according to level of anastomosis were 89.8% and 59.8% in cases of straight vas and 91.5%, 60.1% in cases of convoluted vats (p>0.05, p>0.05). Patency and pregnancy rates according to the kind of suture materials were 91.5% and 56.2% for absorbable, 91.0% and 64.2% for non-absorbable and 93.3% and 53.3% for absorbable plus non-absorbable, respectively 0>0.05, p<0.05). Thus it is suggested that the important factor influencing the success rate of vasovasostomy is the interval of obstruction and nasal ooze with surgical skills.
Busan ; Child ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Family Planning Services ; Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Korea ; Male ; Medical Records ; Middle Aged ; Pregnancy Rate ; Spermatozoa ; Sterilization, Reproductive ; Sutures ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Vasectomy ; Vasovasostomy ; Surveys and Questionnaires