To evaluate a new reliable sclerosant of the gallbladder, we attempted gallbladder ablation with 10% phenol, and the results compared with those from using 95% ethanol which had been used previousy as gallbladder sclerosing agent in laboratory animals in other reports. After laparotomy, ligation of the cystic dusts with silk and cannulation of gallbladder with 18 gauge angiocatheter were done. Then, transcatheter administration of two different scleroing agents was performed in 8 rabbits respectively and normal saline in four rabbits as a control. Additionally, preliminary washing with each agent were implemented to prevent the dilutional effect of residual bile and bleeding. All animals survived without complication. Eight animals were used for each agent, four each being sacrified two weeks and six weeks after adminstration of sclerosing agents respectively. In our results, 10% phenol was more effective than 95% ethanol in denuding the gallbladder epithelium and promoting fibrosis of gallbladder wall, And it was relatively safe in regard to the dilutional effect of residual fluid and bleeding during procedure. Toxic effects on the liver evaluated by examination of histologic specimen were non-specific except for edematous swelling on some cases, which had also been observed on others including control group. 10% phenol can be considered to be a promosing sclerosant for gallbladder ablation, but further study of its toxicity is needed before its application on human gallbladder.
Animals ; Animals, Laboratory ; Bile ; Catheterization ; Dust ; Epithelium ; Ethanol ; Fibrosis ; Gallbladder* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Ligation ; Liver ; Phenol* ; Rabbits* ; Sclerosing Solutions ; Sclerosis* ; Silk

PURPOSE: By developing on-line statistics program to record the information of radiation oncology to share the information with internet. It is possible to supply basic reference data for administrative plans to improve radiation oncology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The information of radiation oncology statistics had been collected by paper forms about 52 hospitals in the past. Now, we can input the data by internet web browsers. The statistics program used windows NT 4.0 operation system, Internet Information Server 4.0 (IIS4.0) as a web server and the Microsoft Access MDB. We used Structured Query Language (SQL), Visual Basic, VBScript and JAVAScript to display the statistics according to years and hospitals. RESULTS: This program shows present conditions about man power, research, therapy machines, technics, brachytherapy, clinic statistics, radiation safety management, institution, quality assurance and radioisotopes in radiation oncology department. The database consists of 38 inputs and 6 outputs windows. Statistical output windows can be increased continuously according to user's need. CONCLUSION: We have developed statistics program to process all of the data in department of radiation oncology for reference information. Users easily could input the data by internet web browsers and share the information.
Brachytherapy ; Internet ; Radiation Oncology* ; Radioisotopes ; Safety Management ; Web Browser

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord stimulation is a well-established method for the management of several types of chronic and intractable pain. This form of stimulation elicits a tingling sensation (paresthesia) in the corresponding dermatomes. The goal of this study was to establish a correlation between the spinal levels of the implanted epidural electrodes and the paresthesia elicited due to stimulation of the neural structures. METHODS: Thirty five patients, who received trial spinal cord stimulation, were evaluated. After the insertion of the lead to the selected position, the areas of paresthesia evoked by stimulation were evaluated. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of cases showed paresthesia in the shoulder area when the tip of the electrode was located between the C2 C4 levels. At the upper extremities, paresthesia was evoked in 86 93% of cases, regardless of the location of the electrode tip within the cervical spinal segments. The most common tip placement of the leads eliciting hand stimulation was at the C5 level. The most common level of electrode tip placement eliciting paresthesia of the anterior and posterior thigh and the foot were at the T7 T12, T10 L1 and T11 L1 vertebral segments, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Detailed knowledge of the patterns of stimulation induced paresthesia in relation to the spine level of the implanted electrodes has allowed the more consistent and successful placement of epidural electrodes at the desired spine level.
Electrodes* ; Electrodes, Implanted ; Foot ; Hand ; Humans ; Pain, Intractable ; Paresthesia* ; Sensation ; Shoulder ; Spinal Cord Stimulation* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spine ; Thigh ; Upper Extremity

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to determine whether certain biomaterials have the potential to support cell attachment. After seeding bone marrow stromal cells onto the biomaterials, we investigated their responses to each material in vitro. METHODS: Rat bone marrow derived stromal cells were used. The biomaterials were deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM), DBBM coated with fibronectin (FN), synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA), HA coated with FN, HA coated with beta-tricalcium phosphate (TCP), and pure beta-TCP. With confocal laser scanning microscopy, actin filaments and vinculin were observed after 6, 12, and 24 hours of cell seeding. The morphological features of cells on each biomaterial were observed using scanning electron microscopy at day 1 and 7. RESULTS: The cells on HA/FN and HA spread widely and showed better defined actin cytoskeletons than those on the other biomaterials. At the initial phase, FN seemed to have a favorable effect on cell adhesion. In DBBM, very few cells adhered to the surface. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, we can conclude that in contrast with DBBM not supporting cell attachment, HA provided a more favorable environment with respect to cell attachment.
Actin Cytoskeleton ; Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; Bone Marrow ; Bone Substitutes ; Calcium Phosphates ; Cell Adhesion ; Durapatite ; Fibronectins ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Rats ; Seeds ; Stem Cells ; Stromal Cells ; Transplants ; Vinculin

PURPOSE: Gene therapy (ex vivo) has recently been used as a means of delivering bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) to sites of tissue regeneration. In the present study, we investigated the effect of co-transduction of adenoviruses expressing BMP-2 and BMP-7 on osteogenesisof C2C12 cells in vitro. METHODS: A replication-defective human adenovirus 5 (Ad5) containing a cDNA for BMPs in the E1 region of the virus (Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7) was constructed by in vivo homologous recombination. Functional activity of Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7 were evaluated in mouse stromal cells (W20-17cells). C2C12 cells are transduced with various MOI (multiplicity of infection) of Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7 to assess most effective and stable titer. Based on this result, C2C12 cells were transduced with Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7 alone or by combination. BMPs expression, alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) activity, cell proliferation, and mineralization were assessed. RESULTS: Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7 are successfully transduced to W20-17 cells, and secreted BMPs stimulated cell differentiation. Also, C2C12 cells transduced with Ad5BMPs showed expression of BMPs and increased ALPaseactivity. In all groups, cell proliferation was observed over times. At 7days, cells co-transduced with Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7 showed lower proliferation than the others. C2C12 cells co-transduced with Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7 had greater ALPaseactivity than that would be predicted if effect of individual Ad5BMPs were additive. Little mineralized nodule formation was detected in cells transduced with individual Ad5BMPs. In contrast, Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7 combination stimulated mineralization after culturing for 10 days in mineralizing medium. CONCLUSIONS: Present study demonstrated that adenoviruses expressing BMPs gene successfully produced BMPs protein and these BMPs stimulated cells to be differentiated into osteoblastic cells. In addition, the osteogenic activity of Ad5BMPs can be synergistically increased by co-transduction of cells with Ad5BMP-2 and Ad5BMP-7.
Adenoviridae ; Adenoviruses, Human ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Animals ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; DNA, Complementary ; Durapatite ; Genetic Therapy ; Homologous Recombination ; Mice ; Osteoblasts ; Osteogenesis ; Regeneration ; Stromal Cells ; Viruses

No abstract available.
Dental Implants* ; Mandible*

No abstract available.
Dentin* ; Hypersensitivity*

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of hydroxyapatite containing toothpaste with positive control toothpastes in reducing dentine hypersensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This clinical trial was a double-blind, randomized, parallel group comparison of two, namely hydroxyapatite containing toothpaste and strontium chloride containing toothpaste. A total of 55 subjects were included in this study. The subjects were given randomly assigned one of the two toothpastes after received tooth brushing instruction at baseline. Some clinical indices(PI, GI, PD), verbal rating score(VRS) for sensitivity to stimulus, the effect in relieving sensitivity and visual analogue scale(VAS) for sensitivity at baseline, week 2, week 4 and week 8 were assessed. All data were evaluated by intention-to-treat analysis. RESULTS: Overall, PI and GI scores were significantly reduced compare baseline in all groups(p<0.05). In addition, there was significant difference in PI at 4 weeks and in GI at 4, 8 weeks between groups. The proportions of subjects relieved sensitivity were 70.4% in experimental group and 57.1% in control group at 8 weeks respectively. The VRS for sensitivity to three kinds of stimuli and VAS for sensitivity decreased according to time, there was no overall difference between two groups(p>0.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that the new hydroxyapatite containing toothpaste was similarly effective in reducing dentine hypersensitivity with pre-existing benchmark toothpaste.
Dentin ; Dentin Sensitivity ; Durapatite ; Strontium ; Tooth ; Toothpastes

Silica is known as a promising osteoconductive material, and polycaprolactone is a bioactive and degradable material. The purpose of this study was to monitor the differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the layer-built silica/poly caprolactone non-woven fabric produced by electrospinning. Non-woven fabric (silica, polycaprolactone, PSP, SPS) was made by electrospinning and they were inserted in the 48 well cell culture plate. MC3T3-E1 cells were prepared by subculture. Cells were seeded to each well 1x10(5) concentration per well. Dulbecco's modified eagle medium with 10% FBS and 1% antibiotic-antimycotic solution was used. Confocal laser scanning microscope was taken 4 hours after incubation (95% air, 5% CO2, 37degrees C). Cell proliferation was monitored by spectrophotometer on 1, 7, 14 days, and the morphology of the growing cells was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope. To monitor the differentiation of osteoblasts on the materials, MC3T3-E1 cells were incubated in 48 well culture plate after seeding with the density of 1x10(5) concentration. Then ELISA kit & EIA kit were used on to assess osteocalcin and osteopontin expression respectively. The other conditions were the same as above. MC3T3-E1 cells were proliferated well on all of the materials. There were no statistical differences among them. The osteopontin expression of silica, PSP, SPS was significantly higher than other groups on day 3 (p<0.05), but after that time, there were no statistically signigicant differences. The osteocalcin expression was significantly higher in silica and PSP than other groups on day 14. These findings show that PSP was as good as silica on the effect of osteoblast differentiation. The PSP non-woven fabric may have the possibility as bone graft materials.
Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Proliferation ; Eagles ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Osteoblasts ; Osteocalcin ; Osteopontin ; Silicon Dioxide ; Transplants

The ultimate objective of periodontal treatment is to stop disease progression and to regenerate destroyed periodontal tissues and thereby regain normal function. Growth factors are naturally found polypetides which stimulate many cellular activities pertaining to wound healing by acting as signal molecule in controlling cell movement, proliferation, and matrix production. Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) is 28,000-35,000 Da molecular weight dimeric protein with 2 long positively charged polypeptide chains connected by sulfide bonds. The purpose of this study is to evaluate histologically the initial guided tissue regeneration in a periodontal defect of a beagle dog treated with a biodegradable membrane formed with polylactic acid (poly-L-lactic acid) and polyglycolic acid loaded with 200ng/cm2 platelet derived growth factor. 2 beagle dogs were used in the experiment. 5mmx6mm alveolar bone defect was formed in upper and lower canines and third premolars and a reference notch was placed. PDGF-BB non-containing membrane was used as control. Each defect was randomly assigned to the test group or the control group. The dogs were sacrificed 3 weeks after membrane placement. Toluidine blue and multiple staining was done for histological analysis. In the 3 week specimen in the control group, no new bone formation could be seen. Small amount of bone resorption below the notch could be seen. In the notch, loose connective tissue with infiltration of inflammatory cells could be seen. Also thin discontinuous new cementum could be seen and the membrane still retained its structure. Where PDGF-BB containing membrane was used, new bone formation could be seen in the notch at 3 weeks and also continuous thin cementum could be seen. PDL cells were observed between new bone and new cementum and some were attached to bone and cementum. These results suggest that new bone and cementum formation seen when PDGF-BB loaded membrane was used was due to inhibition of downgrowth of epithelial cells and also due to continuous release of the growth factor. Further study on the resorption characteristics of the membrane and the release characteristics of the PDGF-BB is necessary. Also, development of a membrane easier to use clinically is necessary.
Animals ; Bicuspid ; Bone Resorption ; Cell Movement ; Connective Tissue ; Dental Cementum ; Disease Progression ; Dogs ; Epithelial Cells ; Guided Tissue Regeneration* ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Membranes* ; Molecular Weight ; Osteogenesis ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Polyglycolic Acid ; Tolonium Chloride ; Wound Healing