Isolated rat thoracic aorta which is pharmacologically precontracted by phenylephrine induces photorelaxation when exposed to long wave length UV-light. The aim of the present study was to characterize the mechanism of UV-light induced by photorelaxation in the rat aorta. 1. UV light relaxed both endothelium-intact and -denuded rat aortic rings contracted by phenylephrine. The magnitude of relaxation on UV light was dependent on the exposure time and slightly greatly in endothelium-denuded rings than in endothelium-intact preparations. 2. L-NAME (10 nM-100 uM) but not D-NAME completely inhibited the photorelaxation in a concentration dependent manner. 3. The UV-induced relaxation was inhibited by methylene blue (1 -100 uM), and verapamil (100 nM), and removal of extracellular Ca2+. In contrast, UV-light induced photorelaxation was potentiated by N(w)-nitro-Larginine (L-NOARG) treatment. 4. In immunocytochemical analysis of UV-light induced iNOS and eNOS expression in rat aortas, at which expression levels were increased in a time-dependent manner on UV-irradiation in aortic endothelium and smooth muscle, respectively. These results suggest that UV light-induced photorelaxation may be due to nitric oxide from exogenously administered L-arginine as well as endogenous nitric oxide donors such as amino acid and arginine derivatives. Additional suggestion is that UV light stimulates the expression of nitric oxide synthases, and its activity for nitric oxide generation is dependent on cytosolic Ca2+ originated from extracellular space.
Acetylcholine/pharmacology ; Animals ; Aorta, Thoracic/drug effects/*physiology/radiation effects ; Calcium Channel Blockers/pharmacology ; Cholinergic Agents/pharmacology ; Endothelium, Vascular/drug effects/physiology/radiation effects ; Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology ; Female ; Male ; Methylene Blue/pharmacology ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester/pharmacology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase/antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; Phenylephrine/pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; *Ultraviolet Rays ; Vasoconstrictor Agents/pharmacology ; Vasodilation/drug effects/*radiation effects ; Vasodilator Agents/pharmacology ; Verapamil/pharmacology

No abstract available.
Dilatation* ; Urethra*

Hemorrhagic cystitis is potentially life-threatening sequellae of chemotherapy using oxazaphosphorine alkylating agents (cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide). Mesna contains a sulfhydryl group that is believed to bind acrolein within the urinary collecting system and reduce the hemorrhagic cystitis without affecting the chemotherapeutic potential. To date, about thirty cases of hypersensitivity or allergic reactions of the delayed and urticarial type associated with mesna have been reported. We reported two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who developed facial rash and flushing associated with mesna which imitate malar rash.
Acrolein ; Alkylating Agents ; Cyclophosphamide ; Cystitis ; Drug Therapy ; Exanthema* ; Flushing ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Mesna*

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease resulting from infection of oligodendrocytes with JC virus. PML was a rare disease, but nowadays not uncommon as AIDS prevailed. Histopathologic features of the affected lesion shows infiltrations of foamy macrophages and hyperchromatic, pleomorphic, reactive astrocytes that may raise the suspicion of a brain tumor. We recently met with 3 cases of PML. Two of the patients had AIDS and the other had been treated for lymphoma. All cases were diagnosed by histopathologic examination in stereotactic brain biopsies.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Astrocytes ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host* ; JC Virus ; Leukoencephalopathy, Progressive Multifocal* ; Lymphoma ; Macrophages ; Oligodendroglia ; Rare Diseases

No abstract available.
Classification* ; Humans ; Spinal Cord* ; Urodynamics*

Advances in fiberoptic endoscopy have improved diagnostic capabilities and management in piatients with gastrointestinal polyps. The gastrointestinal polyp is a premalignant lesion in varying degrees, according to size, pathology, and location. Endoscopic polypectomy has long been considered as a safe and effective method for removal of polyps. Sixty endoscopic gastrointestinal polypectomies were done in 53 patients who visited Hanyang University Hospital from 1984 to l990, and the clinical characteristics including histopathalogy were evaluated. (continue...)
Endoscopy ; Humans ; Pathology ; Polyps

TBX21 (T-bet) is a member of the T-box family of transcriptional factors that contain a conserved DNA binding domain. TBX21 is a critical regulator of the commitment to the Th1 lineage and IFN-gamma production. Th1 and Th2 cells cross-regulate the differentiation of each other, and in this way TBX21 could be an attractive candidate gene for treating autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In present study, we analyzed the genotypic frequencies of six polymorphisms of the TBX21 gene between the 367 RA patients and the 572 healthy controls. We showed that the g.-1514T>C and c.99C>G polymorphisms are suggestively associated with RA susceptibility. It is interesting that the genotypic frequencies of the TBX21 polymorphisms (g.-1514T>C and c.2103A>C) in the male RA patients were significantly different from the male control group (P = 0.0016 and 0.045, respectively). We also found that the g.-1514T>C and c.2103A>C polymorphisms of the TBX21 gene in the male RA patients have significant association with the levels of anti-CCP (P = 0.05) and rheumatoid factor (P = 0.03), respectively. These results suggest that the polymorphisms of the TBX21 gene might be associated with the susceptibility to male RA patients.
Adult ; Alleles ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/*genetics ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group/genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peptides, Cyclic/analysis/immunology ; *Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Rheumatoid Factor/analysis/immunology ; Sex Factors ; T-Box Domain Proteins/*genetics ; Th1 Cells/cytology

Long-term indwelling catheters constitute a risk factor for the development of bladder malignancy. Our study was designed to compare the incidence of bladder cancer and histological changes in the urinary bladder of spinal cord injury patients who had been catheterized for more than 11 years (group 1) and less than 10 years (group 2). Mean duration of catheterization was 17.7 years (range 11-38 years) and 6.5 years (range 2-10 years), respectively in both groups. Our study was performed by cystoscopic evaluation and random bladder biopsy in 23 patients in group 1 and 25 patients in group 2 followed at the Korea Veterans Hospital. The follow-up interval, mechanism, level and degree of injury for both groups were similar. The suprapubic cystostomy was the most common voiding method in both groups (73.9% and 60.0%, respectively). Transitional cell carcinoma in one patient and adenocarcinoma in two patients were found in group 1 and transitional cell carcinoma in one patient was found in group 2. Two patients in group 1 showed squamous metaplasia. 18 patients in group 1 and 24 patients in group 2 showed chronic cystitis. Microscopic hematuria (greater than 2-4 RBC/HPF) was present in all patients. IVPs demonstrated no filling defect of upper tracts in all patients. Overall, the incidences of bladder cancer were 13.0% (3/23) in group 1 and 4.0% (1/25) in group 2. But there was no significant difference in the incidence of bladder cancer between both groups (p=0.279). We suggest that any spinal cord injury patient with hematuria needs a complete bladder evaluation and should undergo cystoscopy and random bladder biopsy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; Catheterization ; Catheters ; Catheters, Indwelling ; Cystitis ; Cystoscopy ; Cystostomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hematuria ; Hospitals, Veterans ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Metaplasia ; Risk Factors ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord* ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms* ; Urinary Bladder*

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the antihypertensive effect, safety and effect on serum lipids of terazosin, second generation alpha1-blocker. METHODS: Terazosin 1-4mg was adminstered once daily in 20 patients for 12 weeks with dose titration every 2 weeks. RESULTS: 1) The systolic and diastolic blood pressure were decreased from 170.0+/-13.0/104.0+/-6.0mmHg to 144.0+/-13.3/88.0+/-5.6mmHg(p<0.01), but the heart rate and body weight were independant of terazosin administration. 2) Total cholesterol was decreased significantly from 209.9+/-33.5mg/dL to 194.6+/-30.1mg/dL after 12 weeks treatment(p<0.05), triglyceride was decreased significantly from 185.4+/-37.0mg/dL to 168.9+/-35.0mg/dL(p<0.05). and LDL-cholesterol was decreased significantly from 134.5+/-31.9mg/dL to 122.7+/-29.9mg/dL(p<0.05), but HDL-cholesterol was increased significantly from 37.8+/-5.6mg/dL to 40.6+/-5.5mg/dL(p<0.05). 3) The adverse effects of terazosin were dizziness in 2, headache in 2, asthenia in 1, peripheral edema in 1 and skin rash in 1 patient, but were not troublesome enough to stop medication. CONCLUSIONS: Terazosin 1-4mg once daily regimen was effective and safe as an antihypertensive agent, and moreover terazosin has favorable effects on serum lipids.
Asthenia ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Dizziness ; Edema ; Exanthema ; Headache ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Triglycerides

BACKGROUND: Diffuse panbronchiolitis(DPB) is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the respiratory bronchioles which was first described in Japan in 1966. DPB is prevalent in Japan and is known to be very rare in western countries. The first cases of DPB were reported in Korea in 1992 and the number of the patients has been increasing. The prognosis of DPR had been very poor because there had been no effective treatment for the disease. Hut it has been dramatically changed since the introduction of low-dose long-term erythromycin therapy. In Korea, there is rare experience of 1ong-term follow-up of DPH patients and we presents the results of mean 21.6 months of follow-up after erythromycin treatment. METHODS: We analyzed the long-term follow-up data of 25 DPH patients who were diagnosed in Seoul National University Hospital during the period from September 1989 to December 1994 and followed up more than 6 months with erythromycin therapy. We tried erythromycin 250mg b.i.d. on all the patients and analyzed the changes of subjective symptoms, physical signs, pulmonary function tests, and chest X-rays. RESULTS: 1) The mean follow-up period was 21.6 months. 2) Subjective symptoms improved in 96% of the patients within 3 months and 76% of the patients showed no symptom after 18 months of treatment. 3) Crackles and wheezing decreased in all patients within 3 months and completely disappeared in 76% of the patients after 18 months of treatment. 4) Diffuse small nodular lesions on chest X-ray decreased in 56% of the patients within 3 months and chest PA was normal in 32% of the patients after 12months of treatment. 5) FVC and FEV1 increased remarkably during the first 3 months and slowly increased thereafter, reaching normal level after 12 months of treatment. FEV1/FVC was 60.4% before treatment and in- creased slowly reaching 76.1% after 24 months of treatment. 6) Erythromycin therapy could be finished in 7 patients. The mean duration of medication was 26 months and no evidence of recurrence was found in 6 months of follow-up. 7) No patients had experienced the side effect of erythromycin, CONCLUSION: The prognosis of DPR is very goad when treated with erythromycin. And at least 2 years of erythromycin treatment seems to be needed for DPB patients.
Bronchioles ; Erythromycin* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Japan ; Korea ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Sounds ; Seoul ; Thorax