BACKGROUNDS: An inhibitory effect of magnesium L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate (VC-PMG, a stable derivative of ascorbic acid) on melanogenesis has been described. Furthermore, glabridin in licorice is known to have inhibitory effects on melanogenesis and widely used for raw materials for depigmenting agents. OBJECTIVE: The purposes of this study are to provide objective data by measuring the visual clinical effects of VC-PMG with the colorimeter and to promote the development of de-pigmenting agents. METHODS: 20 volunteers joined the study. With an artificial UVB irradiation, eight tanned areas were made on the inner side of the forearm. During two months, each tanned area was treated with five whitening cosmetics with 3% VC-PMG and increasing concentration of licorice from 0% to 3%. Darkness degree of each area was measured weekly by the colorimeter and the visual assessment. RESULTS: For all cosmetics, whitening effect was measured by colorimeter and visual as-sessment. The cosmetic containing VC-PMG 3% and licorice 1% had more whitening effect than any other cosmetics of different concentrations. Moreover, VC-PMG 3% alone also had whitening effect in some volunteers. CONCLUSION: VC-PMG was clinically found to have whitening effect.
Ascorbic Acid* ; Darkness ; Forearm ; Glycyrrhiza ; Magnesium* ; Triacetoneamine-N-Oxyl ; Vitamins* ; Volunteers

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans

No abstract available.
Catheters*

A tender, non-healing ulcer of 3 months' duration developed on the tongue tip of a 51-year-old male with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Acid-fast bacilli were grown in the tissue and sputum cultures. The patient was anergic to PPD skin test before the treatment and IL-2 productivity was significantly decreased. Sections from the tongue tip showed ulceration, infiltration of neutrophils and tuberculoid granulornas accompanying caseation necroses in the dermis. The ulcer healed after administration of anti-tuberculosis medication for 2 months.
Dermis ; Efficiency ; Humans ; Interleukin-2 ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Neutrophils ; Skin Tests ; Sputum ; Tongue* ; Tuberculosis* ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary ; Ulcer

BACKGROUND: Plant extracts have been widely used as important therapeutic drugs for many centuries all over the world. There have been many reports that natural products have various kinds of biological activities such as anti-allergy, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. Recently, the screening for the efficacy and safety of natural products has been extensively performed. OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to find a beneficial plant extract possessing excellent antioxidative and anti-melanogenic activities. We have found that the leaf of Robinia pseudo-acacia L. has active substances which are involved in those activities. METHODS: To confirm the antioxidative activity of the extract obtained from the leaves of Robinia pseudo-acacia L., scavenging ability of the extract on DPPH free radicals and its inhibitory effects on lipid autoxidation and peroxidation were investigated. In addition, inhibitory effects of the extract on mushroom tyrosinase as well as melanin biosynthesis in cultured B16 melanoma cells were evaluated. RESULTS: The acacia extract showed not only powerful antioxidative activity but also antimelanogenic acitivity as strong as that of arbutin which is a well known inhibitor of melanogenesis. CONCLUSION: These resulis suggest that the extract from the leaves of Robinia pseudo-acacia L. could be used as a 4ghtening and antioxidative agent for the skin.
Acacia ; Agaricales ; Arbutin ; Biological Products ; Free Radicals ; Mass Screening ; Melanins ; Melanoma, Experimental ; Monophenol Monooxygenase ; Plant Extracts ; Plants ; Robinia* ; Skin

Transcatheter infusion of absolute ethanol was applied clinically in 3 cases of artificial embolization; 25yrsold female with bilateral renal angiomyolipoma, 19yrs old female with right paralumbar liposarcoma and 25 yrs oldmale with hypernephroma of right kidney. Selective or subselective manual infusion was made and 9 to 22cc of pureethanol was delivered in a speed of 1 to 2cc per second. The sclerosing effect of absolute ethanol was potent.However, all 3 cases revealed mild post-emboliaztion syndrome.
Angiomyolipoma ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Ethanol ; Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liposarcoma

Osteoid osteoma is a distinctive benign lesion characterized by a less then 2 cm, pea-like mass of abnormal bone (nidus). The common sites of osteoid osteoma are femur, tibia, humerus, spine and talus. Mastoid tip, clavicle, acetabulum, coccyx, rib, hamate, scapula and scaphoid are rare sites of osteoid osteoma. Osteoid osteoma of the patella is also very rare and on review of literatures we could find only one reported case which was treated by surgical excision. We also experienced one case of osteoid osteoma located at the patella, so we report this case with review of literatures.
Acetabulum ; Clavicle ; Coccyx ; Femur ; Humerus ; Mastoid ; Osteoma, Osteoid* ; Patella* ; Ribs ; Scapula ; Spine ; Talus ; Tibia

No abstract available.
Blotting, Southern* ; Diagnosis* ; DNA* ; Humans*

No abstract available.
C-Reactive Protein* ; Tocolysis*

BACKGROUND: Ethyl crbmate(EC) has been identified at low microgram quantities in various fermented beverages, destiled products and tobacco smoke. EC has long been known as a carcinogen. Oxidation of the ethyl group of EC is followed by dehydration to yield the carcinogen vinyl carbamate (VC). This is further oxidized to vinyl carbamate epoxide(VCO). VC and VCO proved to be much more carcirogenic than EC. OBJECT: The objective of this study is to compare the potency of carcinogenic ability and histologic changes in skin tumors induced by EC, VC, or VCO. METHODS: In this exeriment, the tumor induction was performed by painting the mouse skin once a week for five weeks with EC, VC and VCO solution, and then 12-0-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate(TP2) was treated in the same manner twice a week for 35 weeks. We biopsied the skin at B 0, 15, 25, 30 and 35 weeks and stained the specimens with hematoxylineosin. RESULTS: The time period for the first appearance of papilloma was 6 weeks in the VC-TPA and VCO-TPA group, but, 15 weeks in the EC TPA group. The average number of papilloma showed a statistically sign.ficant difference after 15 weeks between the EC-TPA, VC-TPA and VCO-TPA group. The occurrence of keratoacanthoma and squamous cell carcinoma was 16 and 21 weeks respectively. Histologic changes, such as epidermal layers, pseudohorncysts, degree of hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis, dysplasia and dyskeratotic cells were more prominent in the papil loma than in the non-papilloma lesion. Dermal changes disclosed similiar findings, that is, increased dermal thicknes, proliferation of vessels and hair follicles, and fibrosis of the dermis. Squamous cell carcinomis and keratoacanthomas were produced only in the VCO-TPA group. CONCLUSION: From the above results it is concluded that VC and VCO have a more potent carcinogenic potential than EC. Various skin tumors, such as papilloma, keratoacanthoma or squamous cell carcinoma were prorduced by the above carcinogens.
Animals ; Beverages ; Carcinogens ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Dehydration ; Dermis ; Fibrosis ; Hair Follicle ; Keratoacanthoma ; Loma ; Mice ; Paint ; Paintings ; Papilloma ; Skin* ; Smoke ; Tobacco ; Urethane*