No abstract available.
Cell Line* ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Eflornithine* ; Humans*

The pulmonary arterial pressure(PAP) was reported to be higher in essential hypertensives than in normotensives, but the underlying mechanisms for the higher PAP were not known exactly. In order to observe the changes of pulmonary hemodynamics and to get an insight into the mechanism of the pulmonary hypertension, if any, in essential hypertensive patients, the autors performed the cardiac catheterization in 13 normal controls(group A), 14 coronary patients with normal systolic left ventricular function and systemic blood pressure(group B), and 15 essential hypertensives with normal coronary artery and systolic left ventricular function(group C). 1)Pulmonary arterial pressure(PAP) was 19.2+/-3.2/8.1+/-1.9/12.0+/-1.9(s/d/m)mmHg in group A, 25.0+/-6.2/12.8+/-4.0/16.3+/-4.5mmHg in group B, 29.3+/-6.1/12.8+/-4.0/18.2+/-3.6mmHg in group C. The PAP was higher in group B and C than that of group A(p<0.005). 2) Pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR) was 88.2+/-34.9 dyne.sec.cm(-5) in group A. 137.8+/-74.5 dyne.sec.cm(-5) in group B and 173.9+/-77.5 dyne.sec.cm(-5) in group C. In group B and C, PVR was increased compared to that of group A(p<0.05, p<0.005, respectively). 3) Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure(PCWP) was 6.6+/-2.8 mmHg in groupa A. 9.9+/-2.9mmHg, and 9.6+/-3.6 mmHg in group C. PCWP in group B and C were higher than that of group A(p<0.005). 4) Systemic vascular resistance(SVR) was 1298+/-340 dyne.sec.cm(-5) in group A, 1466+/-362 dyne .sec.cm(-5) i group B and 2255+/-439 dyne.sec.cm(-5) in group C. In group C, SVR was increased compared to that of group A and B(p<0.002). 5) Significant correlation was demonstrated between PVR and PCWP in group A(r=-0.74, p<0.05). 6) In group B, significant correlations were shown between PAP and PCWp(r=0.55, p<0.05), between PAP and PVR(r=0.69, p<0.05). 7) In group C, significant correlations were demonstrated between PAP and PCWP(r=0.55, p<0.05), between PVR and SVR(r=<0.51, p<0.01). Above results revealed that PAP and PVR were increased in essential hypertensives without left ventricular failure and this elevated PAPseemed to be affected in part by increased PCWP, and increased PVR in accordance with increased SVR.
Capillaries ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Cardiac Catheters ; Coronary Vessels ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Ventricular Function, Left

No abstract available.
Diazepam* ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives* ; Midazolam* ; Surgery, Plastic*

Isolated heaptic tuberculous granuloma with no coexistent tuberculosis elsewhere in the body is extremely rare. We report a case of pathologically proven tuberculous granuloma in the liver followed with both IV bolus and portal CT scans. The lesion on preenhanced CT scan showed undefinable isodensity. After IV bolus injection, it showed poor enhancement with central low-density and surrounding hyperdenity due to compensatory hypervascularity of the left lobe of liver in early phase. It showed peripheral rim enhancement in late phase and in delayed phase showed relatively homogeneous but slightly decreased contract enhancement. On portal CT scan, it showed a hypodense portal defect similar to other hepatic mass lesions. During follow-up studies, it was a slowly growing mass which was more easily detectable by prtal CT scans than bolus CT scans.
Follow-Up Studies ; Granuloma* ; Liver ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculosis

Authors compared early phase scan of the IV bolus CT (two phase incremental bolus dynamic CT) with late enhanecd scan similar to the conventional contrast enhanced CT for evaluation of the advantages of the IV bolus CT with two viewpoints of the pancreatic or peripancreatic mass and peripancreatic lymphadenopathy in 68 patients-28 cases of the pancreatic cancer, 6 cases of the pancreatitis and 34 cases of the pancreatic or peripancreatic metastasis. On the diagnosis of the pancreatic or peripancreatic mass, IV bolus CT could show the lesion(s) more easily in 41% (Grade II; 13/31) and much more easily in 34% (Grade III; 10/31) when compared with conventional contrast CT scan. The diagnosis of the peripancreatic lymph node involvement was also easy in 51%(Grade II; 20/39) and much easier in 37% (Grade III; 14/39). We thought that these differences were originated from the increase of the contrast between the lesion and normal portion because the early enhanced scans reflected the active blood flow change more exactly. Therefore IV bolus CT had advantages in comparison with the conventional drip infusion contrast CT in the diagnosis of the presence and pathologic extension of the pancreatic and peripancreatic lesion.
Diagnosis ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Pancreatitis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Authors compared early phase scan of the IV bolus CT (two phase incremental bolus dynamic CT) with late enhanecd scan similar to the conventional contrast enhanced CT for evaluation of the advantages of the IV bolus CT with two viewpoints of the pancreatic or peripancreatic mass and peripancreatic lymphadenopathy in 68 patients-28 cases of the pancreatic cancer, 6 cases of the pancreatitis and 34 cases of the pancreatic or peripancreatic metastasis. On the diagnosis of the pancreatic or peripancreatic mass, IV bolus CT could show the lesion(s) more easily in 41% (Grade II; 13/31) and much more easily in 34% (Grade III; 10/31) when compared with conventional contrast CT scan. The diagnosis of the peripancreatic lymph node involvement was also easy in 51%(Grade II; 20/39) and much easier in 37% (Grade III; 14/39). We thought that these differences were originated from the increase of the contrast between the lesion and normal portion because the early enhanced scans reflected the active blood flow change more exactly. Therefore IV bolus CT had advantages in comparison with the conventional drip infusion contrast CT in the diagnosis of the presence and pathologic extension of the pancreatic and peripancreatic lesion.
Diagnosis ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Pancreatitis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The mechanism of cytolysis by complement attack of nucleated cells(NC) is of special interest in comparison to that of red blood cells. It is known that NC death by membrane attack comples, C5b-9, is caused by many factors, i.e., efficiency of complex assembly, activation of intrinsic metabolic pathway by signal transduction, cytotoxic effect of the channel itself and natural repair ability. These factors suggest that colloid osmotic lysis, known in red blood cells, does not fully explain the complement-mediated cell death of NC. In this study, the authors investigated correlation between biochemical and morphological changes to prove "Ca2+-mediated metabolic death"8~13) representing a mechanism of NC death caused by C5b-9 attack. The L1210 cells, mouse leukemic cell line carrying small complement channel(TAC5b-91) were used in the experiments. The amounts of intracellular adenine nucleotides to extracellular Ca2+, ouabain, KC1 and dextran were analyzed by bioluminescence method using luminometer. Cell viability was checked by 0.4% trypan blue dye and LDH release. Morphological observation of TAC5b-91 was done by immunocytochemical staining and electron microscope. The results were as follows: 1) The release of ATP, ADP and AMP followed by cell death was rapid and progressive along the incubation time at 37 degrees C and it was accelerated in 1.5 mM of [Ca2+]0. 2) There was no evidence of ATP repairment in the TAC5b-91. 3) Extracellular KC1(150 mM), dextran(0.66 mM) and ATP supplement(0.2 microM) could not effectively inhibit ATP depletion and cell death. Ouabain(27 and 100 microM) enhanced cell death and could not completely prevent ATP loss. 4) Most of the mitochondria showed swelling, loss of cristae and Ca2+ deposit in matrix in the electron microscopic observation. Rapid, sustained and irreversible depletion of adenine nucleotides was due to Ca2+ deposit with destruction of mitochondria and also the leakage through transmembrane channels. Moreover this energy depletion was accelerated by high extracellular Ca2+ concentration. These results indicate that Ca2+-mediated, energy exhaustion is one of the mechanisms of the metabolic cell death by C5b-9 attack of NC.
Mice ; Animals

We performed IV bolus CT scan in 40 patients with final diagnosis of various hepatic masses in order to evaluate hemodynamic changes and differentiating characters of the lesions. Preenhanced, early and late phase post enhanced, and delayed CT scans were obtained with rapid IV bolus injection of contrast materials and table sliding method for pertinent scans. In hepatomas, early enhanced CT scan directly showed hypervascular change and active viable portion of the mass and late phase CT scan showed capsular enhancement. In addition, extracapsular invasion and post-embolization recurrence were more easily visualized. In hemangiomas, early and late enhancing types could be categorized according to the time of maximal enhancement. In metastatic liver malignancies and cholangiocarcinomas, specific findings were seen in early phase and delayed CT scans and not in conventional CT scan. In conclusion, IV bolus CT scan is a very useful CT method in demonstrating the characteristic hemodynamic patterns and in differential diagnosis of the hepatic masses.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; Contrast Media ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Hemangioma ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Liver ; Methods ; Recurrence ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

The decision between continued medical therapy and surgical exploration in patients with traumatized scrotum is difficult. We evaluated scrotal ultrasound as a non-invasive aid in such problematic cases. During s 42 months period. 17 patients were hospitalized for treatment of traumatized scrotum. All of them underwent careful physical examination and scrotal ultrasound. The results were as follows.; 1. In the appropriate clinical setting. ultrasound provides objective information supporting the need for surgical intervention in patients with traumatized scrotum and prevents unnecessary operation. 2. The results of treatment in 12 cases of 13 cases who underwent conservative treatment were good. 3. Scrotal ultrasound is necessary as soon as possible in traumatized scrotum and testicular salvage rates are improved markedly when early surgical correction of a ruptured tunica albuginea is performed. 4. Ultrasound is noninvasive and effective single diagnostic method in scrotal injury.
Humans ; Physical Examination ; Scrotum* ; Ultrasonography*

The toxicity and adrenostatic effect of o,p'-DDD, a derivative of the insecticidal DDT, on the adrenal cortex were well known. It known that the toxicity was based on the blocking of steroid biopsynthesis when cholesterol was converted to pregnenolone. Lysodren(R) was also known to be capable of producing a regression of adrenocortical carcinoma and its metastases, and this drug became one of useful choice for the treatment of unoperable adrenocortical carcinomas. Recently, fine structural effect of o,p'-DDD on the adrenocortical carcinoma show that the mitochondria is the primary target organelle. o,p'-DDD was dissolved in corn oil and it was orally administered for 28 days to investigate the ultrastructural effects of zona fasciculata of rat adrenal cortex. The results obtained were as follow: 1) The body weight was decreased after feeding o,p'-DDD. 2) Light microscopic examination showed no remarkable change except increased fine lipid droplets of zona fasciculata in group I (o,p'-DDD 75 mg/kg feeding). Moderately increased intracytoplasmic lipid droplets and pyknotic nuclei bearing membrane indentations were seen in group II (o,p'-DDD 150 mg/kg feeding). Large sized lipid droplet aggregates, pyknotic nuclei with severe nuclear membrane indentations and karyorrhexis in focal area were evident in group III. 3) Immunohistochemical staining for ACTH in pituitary gland showed increasing number of ACTH secretory cell and increasing intensity of staining property according to the dosage of o,p'-DDD. 4) Ultrastructural examination showed increased intracytoplasmic lipid droplets and mild increased peroxisome. There was no remarkable ultrastructural changes in mitochondria in group I. Moderately increased lipid droplets and clusters formation, compressed mitochondria, partial disappearance of mitochondrial cristae, increased peroxisome and nuclear membrane indentations were seen in group II. In group III, nuclear membrane showed prominent indentation. Numberous cytoplasmic vacuolation, double membrane ring in mitochondria, disappearance of mitochondrial cristae, myelin figure formation in mitochondrial matrix, and fatty changes in mitochondrial matrix were seen. These findings showed that the primary target organelle of attack by o,p'-DDD on zona fasciculata of adrenal gland in rat is mitochondria and it was developed from double ring formation in mitochondrial matrix.
Rats ; Animals