Lovastatin, a competitive inhibitor of the rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis was administered to 34 patients with primary hypertlipidemia, 20 mg once daily with the evening meal. Patients experienced mean total and LDL cholesterol reductions of 30.9% and 34.0% respectively. HDL cholesterol level was significantly increased by 15.4% and plasma triglyceride level was decreased by 11.2%. maximal hypocholesterolemic effects were evident at 8 weeks, after which the effects were stable. Adverse effects were noted in 2 patients who had mild gastrointestinal symptoms, that subsided after discontinuing the drug. We concluded that lovastatin is a well tolerated and effective agent for the treatment of primary hyperlipidemia.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Lovastatin ; Meals ; Plasma* ; Triglycerides

Because of the frequent misdiagnosis of the carpal injury, the orthopedic surgeon must know the mechanism of injury and exact radiological interpretation. We had encountered 114 cases of carpal injury, in which carpal fracture, carpal dislocation and instability were analysed by radiological examination. The following results were obtained: 1. In 75 carpal bone fractures, the most common fracture was scaphoid fracture (64 cases), the next com- mon one was triangular fracture (4 cases). 2. Among the 64 scaphoid fractures, the waist portion was the most frequent site (45 cases) and the least was tubercle fracture (2 cases). 3. Of the carpal bone fractures, the fresh fracture was 48 cases (64%) and old one was 27 cases (36%), these showed sclerosis, cystic change, and degenerative change in radiological examination. 4. In 14 carpal dislocations, perilunar dislocation was 2.5 times move common than lunate dislocation, and the trans-scaphoid perilunar dislocation was the most common dislocation. 5. Carpal instability was 25 cases. These were dorsiflexion instability, navicular rotary subluxation, and pal- mar-flexion instability. The most common instability was dorsiflexion instability.
Carpal Bones ; Classification ; Diagnostic Errors ; Dislocations ; Incidence ; Orthopedics ; Sclerosis ; Wrist

ABSTRACT: The present study was designed to investigate the possibility of restoring the testicular steroidogenic ability of the aged Brown Norway rats by administering luteinizing hormone (LH) and thyroxine (Thy). Rats of 3, 6, 12 months (M) of age (n = 8 per group) and four groups of 18 month old rats (n = 8 per group) were used. Eighteen month old rats were implanted subdermally with Alzet mini osmotic pumps containing saline (control), luteinizing hormone (LH, 24 microgram/day), thyroxine (Thy, 5 microgram/day) and LH and Thy (LH +Thy, 24 microgramday and 5 microgram/day), respectively for four weeks (i.e testing was done at 19 months). The results showed that the testis volume was unchanged among all treatment groups. The number of Leydig cell per testis was not significantly different among all treatment groups. The average volume of a Leydig cell was significantly decreased at 12 months, and a further reduction was observed at 19 months (saline-treated); values for 19 month LH-and-LH +Thy-treated rats were not significantly lower than those at 3 and 6 months of age. Testosterone secretory capacity per testis and per Leydig cell in vitro were significantly reduced concomitantly with age advancement from 6 to 19 months (saline-treated) of age. These values of LH-and Thy-treated 19 month old rats were similar to those at 12 months. LH +Thy-treated rats were equally capable to 3 and 6 month old rats in producing testicular testosterone in vitro in response to LH. Serum testosterone was unchanged from 3 M to 12 M rats but was reduced in 19M control rats. Both LH and Thy significantly raised these values above the 19M control levels, but they were still lower than the 3 M through 12 M levels. Additionally, LH +Thy significantly raised the serum testosterone levels to those of 12M rats, but these values were significantly lower than those of 3 M and 6 M rats. In summary, the present study demonstrated that the exogenous supplementation of LH and Thy was effective in restoring the steroidogenic potential of the aged Leydig cells; the most effective treatment was LH +Thy, which upgraded the capacity of aged testes to those of 3 and 6 months.
Animals ; Humans ; Infant ; Leydig Cells* ; Lutein* ; Luteinizing Hormone ; Male ; Norway* ; Rats* ; Testis ; Testosterone ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Hormones* ; Thyroxine

No abstract available.
Plastics*

Pseudohypoparathyroidism(PHP) is a genetic disorder characterized by target cell resistance to the effect of parathyroid hormone(PTH). The disorder is classified into type I a, I b, I c and II depending on the phenotype and biochemical findings. In type I a, urinary cyclic AMP and urinary phosphate excretion are not increased after PTH stimulation because of deficient G unit activity in target cells. Deficiency of the G unit is a generalized cellular defect and accounts for the association of other endocrine disorders with type I a PHP. Type I b PHP shows resistance to PTH but not to other hormones and normal phenotypic appearance. In type I c PHP affected children have defect in catalytic unit of adenylate cyclase and in addition to resistance to PTH, resistance to the metabolic effects of TSH, gonadotropins, and glucagon may be detected. Typical appearance of Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy is common in PHP type Ia and Ic. In type II PHP, urinary cyclic AMP response is generated but this does not lead to phosphaturia. We experienced two patients with PHP. One is a 11-year-old girl diagnosed type I a PHP and the other is a 11-year-old boy suspected type I b PHP. They visited emergency room because of tetanic movement. Both patients had no previous history of tetany and showed low serum calcium level, high phosphorus level and high PTH level. The girl had typical features of Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy such as round face, short neck, obese feature, brachydactyly and mental retardation but didn't have basal ganglia calcification on brain CT. The boy showed normal appearance and no mental retardation.
Adenylyl Cyclases ; Basal Ganglia ; Brachydactyly ; Brain ; Calcium ; Child ; Cyclic AMP ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Glucagon ; Gonadotropins ; Humans ; Hypophosphatemia, Familial ; Intellectual Disability ; Male ; Neck ; Phenotype ; Phosphorus ; Pseudohypoparathyroidism* ; Tetany

Primary small cell carcinoma of the prostate is a rare and very aggressive disease with a poor prognosis, even in its localized form. We managed a case of primary small cell carcinoma of the prostate. The patient was treated with robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Herein we report this first case of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy performed in a patient with primary small cell carcinoma of the prostate.
Carcinoma, Small Cell ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Prostate ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Robotics

OBJECTIVES: Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) is the major component in commercial liquid epoxy resins, which are manufactured by co-reacting bisphenol A with epichlorohydrin. This study was performed to show the developmental effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures to BADGE in male rat offspring. METHODS: Mated female rats were divided into four groups, each containing 12 rats. The dosing solutions were prepared by thoroughly mixing BADGE in corn oil at the 0, 375, 1500 and 3000 mg/kg/day concentrations. Mated females were dosed once daily by oral gavage on gestation day (GD) 6 - 20 and postnatal day (PND) 0 - 21. Pregnant female dams were observed general symptoms and body weight. Also, male pups were observed the general symptoms, body weight, developmental parameters (e.g. anogenital distance, pina detachment, incisor eruption, nipple retention, eye opening, testis descent), organ pathologic changes and hormone levels of plasma. RESULTS: Pregnant rats treated with BADGE died at a rate of about 70% in the 1500 mg/kg/day group and all rats treated with 3000 mg/kg/day died. Body weight, for male pups treated with doses of 375 mg/kg/day, was significantly lower than in the control group at PND 42, 56, and 63 (p<0.05). Evaluation of body characteristics including; separation of auricle, eruption of incisor, separation of eyelid, nipple retention, descent of testis, and separation of the prepuce in the BADGE treated group showed no difference in comparisons with the control group. AGD and adjusted AGD (mm/kg) for general developmental items in BADGE 375 mg/kg/day treated pups tended to be longer than in controls, however, these differences were not statistically significant. Relative weights of adrenal gland, lung (p<0.05), brain, epididymis, prostate, and testis (p<0.01) were heavier than in control in measures at PND 9 weeks. There were no significant changes in comparisons of histological findings of these organs. Loss of spermatids was observed in the seminiferous tubule at PND 9 weeks, but no weight changes were observed. The plasma estrogen levels were similar in the control and treatment groups at PND 3, 6 and 9 weeks. The plasma testosterone levels in the control group tended to increase with age. However, in the BADGE 375 mg/kg/day treated male pups it did not tend to increase. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that BADGE is a chemical that has developmental effects consistent with it being an endocrine disruptor.
Rats, Sprague-Dawley/growth & development ; Rats ; Pregnancy ; Male ; Korea ; Female ; Epoxy Compounds/administration & dosage/antagonists & inhibitors/*toxicity ; Carcinogens/administration & dosage/antagonists & inhibitors/*toxicity ; Animals

PURPOSE: To investigate predictors of progression to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and cancer-specific mortality (CSM) in patients with metastatic prostate cancer (mPCa). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 440 consecutive treatment-naive patients initially diagnosed with mPCa between August 2000 and June 2012. Patient age, body mass index (BMI), Gleason score, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), PSA nadir, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, Visual Analogue Scale pain score, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance score (ECOG PS), PSA response to hormone therapy, and metastatic sites were assessed. Cox-proportional hazards regression analyses were used to evaluate survivals and predictive variables of men with bone metastasis stratified according to the presence of pain, compared to men with visceral metastasis. RESULTS: Metastases were most often found in bone (75.4%), followed by lung (16.3%) and liver (8.3%) tissues. Bone metastasis, pain, and high BMI were associated with increased risks of progression to CRPC, and bone metastasis, pain, PSA nadir, and ECOG PS> or =1 were significant predictors of CSM. During the median follow-up of 32.0 (interquartile range 14.7-55.9) months, patients with bone metastasis with pain and patients with both bone and visceral metastases showed the worst median progression to CRPC-free and cancer-specific survivals, followed by men with bone metastasis without pain. Patients with visceral metastasis had the best median survivals. CONCLUSION: Metastatic spread and pain patterns confer different prognosis in patients with mPCa. Bone may serve as a crucial microenvironment in the development of CRPC and disease progression.
Aged ; Bone Neoplasms/secondary ; *Disease Progression ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pain/diagnosis/etiology/prevention & control ; Pain Measurement ; Prognosis ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood ; Prostatic Neoplasms/mortality/*pathology ; Prostatic Neoplasms, Castration-Resistant/mortality/*pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk ; Treatment Outcome

The prognosis of patients with malignant brain tumors has improved only slightly despite the combined use of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy offers some possibilities and hopes as a fourth modality for the treatment of cancers although it is still in the early stages of development. It is possible to classify immunotherapy within four generally accepted modalities : 1) restorative or nonspecific immunotherapy 2) adoptive immunotherapy 3) passive immunotherapy 4) active immunotherapy. The techniques of recombinant DNA, genetic engineering, cell fusion and hybridoma production, and molecular biology will make these therapeutic approaches more successful and as the clinical applications expand the skillful cancertherapist will become increasingly familiar with these treatments and the problems associated with their use.
Allergy and Immunology* ; Brain Neoplasms* ; Brain* ; Cell Fusion ; DNA, Recombinant ; Drug Therapy ; Genetic Engineering ; Hope ; Humans ; Hybridomas ; Immunization, Passive ; Immunotherapy* ; Immunotherapy, Active ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive ; Molecular Biology ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of particulate matter (PM), a marker of environmental pollution derived from combustion sources, on lung epithelial cells (A549) and macrophage (RAW 264.7). METHODS: The production of reactive radicals from lung cells, the lipid peroxidation of cell membrane, and the cytotoxicity of PM were measured using an in vitro model. The results were compared with a control group. RESULTS: The presence of PM significantly increased the production of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species with time and in a dose dependent pattern and also increased the malondialdehyde concentration in lung epithelial cells. The cytotoxicity of PM was increased with increasing concentration of PM. CONCLUSIONS: It has been suggested that urban particulate matter causes an inflammatory reaction in lung tissue through the production of hydroxyl radicals, nitric oxides and numerous cytokines. The causal chemical determinant responsible for these biologic effects are not well understood, but the bioavailable metal in PM seems to determine the toxicity of inhaled PM.
Cell Membrane ; Cytokines ; Environmental Pollution ; Epithelial Cells ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Lung ; Macrophages ; Malondialdehyde ; Oxides ; Particulate Matter ; Reactive Nitrogen Species ; Reactive Oxygen Species