No abstract available.
Genetic Therapy* ; Oligonucleotides*

gamma-Glutamyltransferase(GGT: E.C. 2.3.2.2.) is a glycoprotein enzyme which is involved in glutathione metabolism and amino acid transport through the plasma membrane. It is distributed widely in several organs including liver, kidney, pancrease and brain. GGTs derived from the brain of Wister rats and BALB/c mice were biochemically purified to a specific activity of 4246.2, 862.1 units per mg of protein, a purification folds 93.7, 43.8 and the final yield 65.8, 44.0% respectively. Electrophoretic pattern of purified GGTs from rats and mice brain shows very similar protein fraction each other. We have produced six monoclonal antibodies(GGT-Mab 1-6) against 2-acetamidogluorene treated rat liver GGT. Using these GGT-Mab 1-6 we performed immunohistochemistry(IHC) to study the distribution of GGT isozymes in normal tissues of rat brain and in neoplastic tissues of human brain. The results indicated that human brain GGT was localized in pericytes of blood-brain barrier, especially in the blood-rich portion of the brain(e.g. cerebellum of rat, meningioma and craniopharyngioma of human). Therefore these Maps may be used to evaluate the distribution of GGT isozymes in different tissues.
Animals ; Antibodies* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Blood-Brain Barrier* ; Brain ; Cell Membrane ; Cerebellum ; Craniopharyngioma ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase* ; Glutathione ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Isoenzymes ; Kidney ; Liver ; Meningioma ; Metabolism ; Mice ; Pancreas ; Pancrelipase ; Pericytes* ; Rats

In this case, a 39 year-old man was admitted with Budd-Chiari syndrome associated with complete superior vena cava(SVC)obstruction causing general edema and hepatic failure. Conservative medical therapy was failed. And after the radiologist failed to invasive procedure of balloon dilatation, we attempted the inferior vena cava to right atrium bypass graft. Operation was done through median sternotomy and extended vertical oblique abdominal incision. A 24 mm Dacron tube was placed from the inferior vena cava just below the left renal vein to the right atrium without using the cardiopulmonary bypass pump. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful without signs of bleeding or anyother complications. We used anticoagulants at the postoperative first day. At the postoperative 26th day, we performed abdominal Doppler sonography and we confirmed that the graft patency was good. The patient was discharged with SVC obstructive symptoms but we noticed relief of SVC obstructive symptoms in the course of follow-up.
Adult ; Anticoagulants ; Budd-Chiari Syndrome* ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Dilatation ; Edema ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Atria ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Liver Failure ; Polyethylene Terephthalates ; Protein S Deficiency* ; Protein S* ; Renal Veins ; Sternotomy ; Superior Vena Cava Syndrome ; Transplants ; Vena Cava, Inferior ; Vena Cava, Superior

PURPOSE: Growth inhibitory effects of lipid soluble components of the Korean red ginseng and the antineoplastic mechanism against human melanoma cell lines were investigated. To examine molecular mechanism of growth inhibitory effects of GX-PE, we analyzed the effect of GX-PE on cell cycle progression and expression of cell cycle regulatory factors such as retinoblastoma gene product (Rb), p27 (Kip1), p21 (WAF1), cdk2, cdk4 and cyclin D1 which are known to regulate cell cycle progression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Petroleum ether extract of the Korean red ginseng (GX-PE) was added to cultures of three human melanoma cell lines, SK-MEL-1, SK-MEL-2, and SK-MEL-5. Proliferation was measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation assay. Cell cycle and expression of cell cycle regulatory factors were analyzed by flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: Growth of melanoma cells was inhibited by GX-PE in proportion to the concentration. GX-PE significantly inhibited cell cycle progression at G1 phase. GX-PE increased expression of negative cell cycle regulators, i.e., p27 (Kip1) in SK-MEL-2 and p21 (WAF1) and Rb in SK-MEL-1. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that GX-PE inhibits proliferation of melanoma cells at a G1-S transition point of the cell cycle. The effect of GX-PE is most likely due to induction of negative cell cycle regulatory factors.
Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle* ; Cell Line* ; Cyclin D1 ; Ether ; Flow Cytometry ; G1 Phase ; Genes, Retinoblastoma ; Humans* ; Melanoma* ; Panax* ; Petroleum