Production of free radicals of superoxide anion in tissues by cadmium, activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase to protect tissue damages caused by the free radicals and ATPase that plays an important role in energy metabolism at cellular level were investigated. Experiments in viro were conducted with liver, kidney and testicle tissue homogenates of rats adding 0.05~0.50 mM cadmium chloride, and in vivo experiments administering single dose of 5mg of cadmium/kg of body weight in 0.1% cadmium chloride solution intraperitoneally 48 hours prior to evisceration. Production of superoxide radicals in liver and testicle increased with addition of cadmium in vitro, but not in kidney. In vivo experiments, however superoxide radicals slightly increased in liver and kidney but not in testicle. Superoxide dismutase (Cu, Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD), catalase and ATPase (total, (Mg++)- & (Na+)- (K+)-) activity decreased in the presence of cadmium in dose dependent manner. Reduction of these enzyme activities varied not only with dosage of cadmium but also with type of tissue and between in vitro and in vivo experiment.
Adenosine Triphosphatases* ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Cadmium Chloride ; Cadmium* ; Catalase* ; Energy Metabolism ; Free Radicals ; Kidney* ; Liver* ; Rats* ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides* ; Testis*

A patient with glioblastoma multiforme was treated with postoperative radiotherapy and a simultaneous induction chemotherapy with CCNU(75mg/sqm), procarbazine(100mg/sqm), vincristine(1.4mg/sqm). Follow up C-T scanning showed a mild decreased density area of left frontal lobe and the patient was discharged without any evidence of neurological deficit except mild decreased visual acuity.
Drug Therapy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Frontal Lobe ; Glioblastoma ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Radiotherapy ; Visual Acuity

Recent studies suggest that apolipoproteins may be better predictor of ischemic heart disease than are plasma lipids, such as total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C). To examine this hypothesis, plasma levels of major lipids and major apolipo-proteins were measured and their derivatives were calculated in 30 male patients with ischemic heart disease(16 angina pectoris and 14 old myocardial infarction) and 30 age-matched male healthy controls. Plasma levels of lipids were obtained by conventional methods and apolipoproteins by Rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Levels of HDL-C, HDL2-cholesterol(HDL2-C), and apolipoprotein-AII, and ratios of HDL-C/total cholesterol, HDL2-C/total cholesterol, and apolipoprotein-AI/apolipoprotein-B were lower in the group of patients than in controls. Levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) and apolipoprotein-B, and ratios of lDL-C/HDL-C and apolipoprotein-AI/apolipoprotein-AII were higher in the group of patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of total cholesterol and apolipoprotein-AI between the two groups. Stepwise discriminators analysis showed that apolipoprotein-B and apolipoprotein-AII were better discriminators than plasma lipids for identifying those with ischemic heart disease. One could correctly classify 78% of the cases by using the levels of the two apolipoproteins. By using the level of apolipoprotein-B, one could correctly classify 73% of the cases. There were no correlations between the levels of total cholesterol and HDL-C in the controls whereas there were positive correlations between the levels in the group of patients. In conclusion, this study showed that apolipoprotein-B was the best single discriminator for identifying the patients with ischemic heart disease, followed by apolipoprotein-AII.
Angina Pectoris ; Apolipoproteins A* ; Apolipoproteins* ; Cholesterol ; Heart ; Humans ; Immunoelectrophoresis ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia* ; Plasma* ; Risk Factors*

Addisons disease is the defieient production of glucocorticoid or mireralocorticoid or both, due to the destruction of the adrenal cor tex. We report a case of Addiaons disesse in a 26-year-old male who complained only of skin and oral mucosal hyperpigmentations without other constitutional symptorns, Physical examinations showed scanty pubic and axillary hsirs. On adrenocorticoid funtion study, the ACTH stimulstion test failed to rise the bassl plasme cortisol level and basal ACTH level was marked elevated st PM 6:00. Routine laboratory and other endocrinologic evaluations exhibited within normal limits. Radiologic findings showed negative on both cheet X-ray and abdominal MRI films. Gradisl disapperance of skin snd mucosal hyperpigmentation were noted following administration of phosiologic dose of corticosteriods. Almost normal appearance was obtaineg after 26 months treatment.
Addison Disease* ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Adult ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Hyperpigmentation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Skin

No abstract available.
Dipyridamole* ; Heart Ventricles*

On the basis of the electrocardiographic ST-T changes, 46 patients with hypertensive heart disease were evaluated with echocardiography and classified into three groups; Those without any ST-T changes(group I, 6 patients) ; those with various nonspecific ST-T changes(group II, 20 patient); and those with full-blown LVh strain pattern (group III, 20 patients). In group III, left ventricular posterior wall thickness (p<0.01). interventricular septal thickness(p<0.05) and cardiac muscle mass(p<0.02) increased significantly and end-systolic dimension(p<0.05), relative wall thickness(p<0.02) also in creased significantly but ejection fraction decreased significantly (p<0.05). These results suggest that LVH strain pattern is associated with left ventricular hypertrophy or thickening, left ventricular dilatation and/or functional deterioration and that left ventricular wall thickness increase progressively even in the stage of LVH strain pattern on electrocardiogram.
Dilatation ; Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography* ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular ; Myocardium

Spinal tuberculosis is curable disease, and early diagnosis is mandatory for early treatment. We reviewedconventional radiographies and CT from Histopathologically confirmed 30 cases of spinal tuberculosis, and comparedthese findings with radiologic findings from 2 cases of pyogenic spondylitis and 4 cases of meastasis. The resultswere as follows: 1. The frequnet site of involvement were thoracolumbar juntion and low lumbar vertebrae, and themost frequent type is multisegmented subligamentous type (93.3%). 2. CT was not of great use in the diferentaldiagnosis of the tuberculosis. Dominant CT findings of tuberculous spondylitis were anterior vertebral bodydestruction, paravertebral soft-tissue mass and thick walled abscess formation occasionally containingcalcification and disc space narrowing, in the setting of an indolent or relatively benign course. 3. CT is thebest modality for imaging the extent and anatomy of the destructive process, the degree of canal encroachment, andthe change of adjacent vital structure. So CT was particularily useful in pre-operative planing of debridement andstabilization surgery. 4. The most common causes of neurologic manifestations in tuberculous spondylitis were thecompression of spinal cord by sequestrated bony fragments and disc material, granulation tissue or abscess in thespinal canal.
Abscess ; Debridement ; Early Diagnosis ; Granulation Tissue ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Spinal Cord ; Spondylitis ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Spinal

No abstract available.
Bacteremia*

In order to evaluate the effect of the lumbar epidural steroid injection in the low back pain and/or radicular pain. We studied 66 patients who were treated and followed for an average of 8.6 months. In the initial evaluation, main pain sites were as follows: low back pain in 41 patients, buttock pain in 7 patients, and leg pain. In 18 patients. Immediate response and delayed response in the patients were studied. Immediate response within 1 day after injection revealed the following : dramatic improvement in 3.0%;some improvement in 56.1%; no improvement in 27.3%; and more aggravated in 13.6%. Delayed response after 1 month revealed the following : 15.2% continuously maintained improvement; 9.1 showed progressive improvement;36.4% experienced recurring pain; 27.3% had no improvement; and 10.6% had aggravating pain. The effect of the lumbar epidural steroid injection was not affected by the severity of pain in the initial evaluation. Better improvements were noted in patients who suffered radicular pain than those who suffered low back or buttock pain. Good prognostic factors were young age and male. Complications that the patients suffered were transient injection pain(6), edema of the face or extremity(10), transient leg weakness(5) and dural puncture(1). The number of patients who wanted to recommend this procedure to others were 22(33.3%). In conclusion, epidural steroid injection was one of the methods in the management of the patients who suffered low back pain and/or radicular pain and had no effect by any other therapies.
Buttocks ; Edema ; Humans ; Leg ; Low Back Pain* ; Male

BACKGROUND: We tested recent evidences that IP triggers selective activation of protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes using isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit heart with PKC activator, phorbol ester (PMA, 0.01 nM) or inhibitor (calphostin C, 200 nM). METHODS: After stabilization of baseline hemodynamics, the hearts were subjected to 45 min global ischemia (I) followed by 120 min reperfusion (R) with IP (IP group, n=18) or without IP (ischemic control group, n=16). IP was induced by single episode of 5 min I and 10 min R. In the PMA-treated group (n=19) and calphostin C-treated preconditioned group (n=15), PMA and calphostin C was given for 5 and 15 min before 45 min I, respectively. Myocardial cytosolic and membrane PKC activities were measured by 32P- -ATP incorporation into PKC-specific pepetide: PKC isozymes were analyzed by Western blot with monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: IP significantly increased the recovery of the LV function including LVDP and coronary flow (p <0.05):however, enhancement of the functional recovery disappeared by calphostin C or PMA treatment. Cytosolic PKC activity decreased to 82-76% in the IP and PMA-treated group (p <0.05): membrane PKC activity increased to 218-272% (p <0.01). However, both fraction of PKC activity was not changed in the calphostin C-treated preconditioned group. In addition, Western blot revealed that PKC- alpha and epsilon, especially epsilon, were selectively translocated during subsequent sustained ischemia after IP or PMA administration. IP and PMA also reduced infarct size (frim 38 to 10-20%, p <0.05). However, calphostin C blocked infarct reduction effect of IP. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that in isolated rabbit heart model, cardioprotective effect of IP may be related, at least in part, to trigger selective translocation of PKC, especially epsilon isotype.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Blotting, Western ; Cytosol ; Heart ; Hemodynamics ; Ischemia ; Ischemic Preconditioning* ; Isoenzymes ; Membranes ; Protein Kinase C* ; Protein Kinases* ; Reperfusion