In order to clarify the cause of intracellular ATP dependency on Zn2+ blockade of KATP channels in pancreatic beta cells, we investigated the KATP channel activity during external Zn2+ application using voltage clamp technique. Cultured beta cells were used for patch-clamp experiment. When 3 mM glucose was applied in bath, KATP channel activity was increased transiently by externally applied Zn2+ in the cell-attached mode and was recoverable. The KATP channel activity was, however, consistently increased by Zn2+ application during the 0 mM glucose in bath. Inside-out mode, internally applied Zn2+ elicited no response on the KATP channels. Another divalent cation, Mn2+, didn't have any effect on the KATP channels. Therefore, This effect, so-called external glucose-dependency on Zn2+ blockade of the KATP channels, might be due to intracellular Zn2+ metabolism which induces ATP consumption. This appears to be a mechanism that the Zn2+ blockade of the KATP channels in the pancreatic beta cells depends on the intracellular ATP concentration.
Adenosine Triphosphate* ; Baths ; Glucose ; Insulin-Secreting Cells* ; KATP Channels* ; Metabolism

Acute appendicitis is the most common reason for non-obstetric abdominal surgery during pregnancy. The diagnosis of appendicitis in pregnancy is difficult due to the blunting of signs and symptoms during pregnancy along with a migration of appendiceal location. When appendicitis in pregnancy is suspected, the physician must balance the risk of delaying surgery and incurring the morbidity of delay against acting hastily and performing unnecessary surgery. Eleven patients who underwent appendectomy during pregnancy from April 1995 through February 1997 were reviewed. Seven patients were proven to be acute appendicitis at laparotomy and by subsequent histopathology. There were no significant differences between patients with positive and negative laparotomies regarding frequency of presenting symptoms and signs or laboratory results. Two cases of preform(25 and 31 weeks) deliveries occurred, one with a perforated appendicitis and the other with negative laparotomy.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Laparotomy ; Pregnancy* ; Unnecessary Procedures

No abstract available.

Partial knee ankylosis is a recognized complication following open operative procedure, trauma and disease processes about the knee. It can result from the formation of intraarticular adhesion and contracture of the capsule as well as the shortening or adhesion of the quadriceps mechanism. Physical therspy and occasionally manipulation under the anesthesia may improve the results, but performed late, these methods will be useless. This is a review of 30 patients who had severe limitation of motion in the knee joint following open operative procedures or trauma about the knee and who were treated by the percutaneous release of adhesions under the arthroscopic control. The following results were obtained; There were 17 males and 13 females, and the age of release ranged from 23 to 69 years old (av. 42.8years old). The interval between arthroscopic adhesiolysis and the last follow-up evaluation ranged from 6 months to 5 years and 7 months(av. 23 months). The interval between the last open operative procedure or trauma and arthroscopic adhesiolysis ranged from 3 months to 4 years(av. 15 months). The average preoperative knee ROM was 38.8°the postoperative ROM was 121.1°and the average final knee ROM at follow-up was 102.6°So the average loss of ROM was 18.5°The arthroscopic adhesiolysis seems to be applied to the various conditions of the partial knee ankylosis and the results are better than the other surgical procedures when it was performed early enough.
Anesthesia ; Ankylosis ; Contracture ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Knee Joint ; Knee ; Male ; Surgical Procedures, Operative

In the treatment of Tb.knee, the preservation of mobility is an important issue, there are many difficulties due to pain and swelling in the trial of early ROM exercise, and various problems such as the recurrence of Tb. lesions, delayed wound healing and draining sinus formation. We analysed 30 cases of Tb. knee treated with synovectomy during 10 years since March, 1979. In Group I (25 cases), early ROM exercise were started about 4 weeks after synovectomy. And in Group II (5 csses), arthroscopic adhesiolysis was performed after minimum 6 month immobilization and chemotherapy following synovectomy. We compared the two Groups and the results were as followings: 1. Male was 15 patients and female was 15 patients, the average age was 28.1 years. 2. The average follow-up period was 18.3 months. 3. In Group I, the ROM exercise was performed before 4 weeks in 9 cases and after 4 weeks in 16 cases postoperatively. The average final ROM was 68.9° 4. Draining sinus formation was in 4 cases in Group I. 5. In Group II, arthroscopic adhesiolysis was performed in 5 cases after synovectomy and chemotherapy for average 8.8 months ranging from 6 to 14 months. 6. The average final ROM at follow-up was 111° in Group II. 7. In a case with the severe involvement of bone and cartilage in Tb. lesion at the synovectomy, ROM was reduced gradually to 50° after arthroscopic adhesiolysis. We could gain ROM of 120° by TKR. 8. Draining sinus formation was not found in Group II.
Cartilage ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Immobilization ; Joints ; Knee ; Male ; Methods ; Recurrence ; Wound Healing

Cyclins are proteins that activate different cyclin-dependent kinases(CDKs) and promote the cell cycles. Their correlations with several human cancers have been identified. Cyclin E, as one of G1 cylins, produces DNA replication through the progression of cell cycle G1 --> S phase. In contrast, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors(CDKI) bound with cyclin E-cdk2 complex control the cell cycle and inhibit the cell proliferation. P21(WAF1) proteins, which are CDKIs, are transcripted by a p53 gene and participate in the cell cycle inhibition. Variant p53 proteins produced by a mutated p53 gene lose the ability to control of the cell cycle resulting in cell proliferation. This study is aimed to reveal the expressions of cyclin E, p21(WAF1) protein, p53 variant protein in colorectal adenomas and carcinomas, and also reveal their correlations in the process of carcinogenesis. Twenty-one colorectal adenomas or adenomatous polyps, and thirty colorectal carcinoma tissues were obtained by operative resections or endoscopic polypectomies. Immuno histochemical stains of the above-mentioned three proteins and a statistical analysis of their correlations were made. The results were as follows: 1. P21 proteins were expressed in the upper-one third layer of all normal colonic mucosa, but cyclin E and variant p53 protein were not identified. 2. Cyclin E was expressed in 23.8% of adenomas and 76.7% of carcinomas. Variant p53 protein was expressed in 71.4% of adenomas and 83.3% in carcinomas. The degree of positivity of variant p53 expression was correlated with cancer staging. P21 protein was expressed in all adenomas, similar to normal mucosa, but was not expressed in 43.3% of carcinomas. 3. Expression of cyclin E was increased as to the positivity of variant p53 proteins but the correlations of p21 proteins and cyclin E, and p21 proteins and variant p53 proteins were not identified. Cancer staging was not correlated with the expressions of the three proteins. In conclusion, it can be thought that the overexpression of cyclin E and variant p53 proteins, and the loss of p21 proteins are related with the colorectal carcinogenesis. We can also identify the relationship of cyclin E and variant p53 proteins.
Adenoma* ; Adenomatous Polyps ; Carcinogenesis ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Proliferation ; Colon ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Coloring Agents ; Cyclin E* ; Cyclins* ; DNA Replication ; Genes, p53 ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Staging ; Phosphotransferases ; S Phase

The development of intestine can be characterized by the following two traits. First, at the beginning of its development, the intestine is temporarily herniated into the umbilical cord, then reduced into the abdominal cavity, and finally reaches its adult location, rotating along the way. Nevertheless, no time table is yet available as to show, in a precise manner, when the intestine is herniated, when it is reduced, or to what extent the rotation occurs. Secondly, it is known that in the course of intestinal development, the lumen is temporarily obstructed by epithelial proliferation and then undergoes the recanalization. However, it is not yet certain whether there is practically a complete luminal obstruction, even by supposing that there is a complete obstruction, no theory has yet been established to determine the time, location, or the extent of the obstruction, and the time of the recanalization. In this study, 2 ~12 week old human embryos and fetuses have been used which were microdissected under a surgical microscope and were subsequently observed in an ordinary tissue slide. We have obtained the following results. 1. The intestine was first formed at Carnegie stage 5. Together with the folds of the embryos, three parts of the primitive gut were observed for the first time at stage 10. At stage 12, the primitive gut was located on the midline. 2. At stage 15, the intestine rotated to 90 counterclockwise, and at the next stage, it started herniation. There was another 90 counterclockwise rotation at stage 20, and at the beginning of the 9th week, with the rapid reduction into the abdominal cavity, the cecum was located in the proper adult position, and the rotation completed. 3. Although epithelial proliferation was recognizable in the esophagus, duodenum and other parts of the intestine of the developing embryo, we could not find any cases in which the lumen was completely obstructed.
Abdominal Cavity ; Adult ; Cecum ; Duodenum ; Embryonic Structures* ; Esophagus ; Fetus* ; Gastrula ; Humans* ; Intestines ; Phenobarbital* ; Umbilical Cord

No abstract available.
Colorectal Neoplasms*

The latissimus dorsi muscle or musculocutaneous flap is one of the most useful flaps in reconstructive surgery. This flap has many advantages, such as its reliable anatomy, long pedicle with large caliber vessels, minimal functional deficit of the donor site, and low incidence of donor site complications. However, the bulkiness of the flap has been considered a disadvantage, so various modifications of technique have been devised. The cutaneous portion of the flap can be safely elevated based on the cutaneous perforating branch of the thoracodorsal vessel. From March 1997 to February 1998, 10 patients underwent reconstructive procedures with thoracodorsal perforator-based free flaps. The composition of the flaps varied in accordance with the nature of the defect. The variances in the flaps were as follows; 3 were cutaneous, 6 musculocutaneous, and 1 osteomusculocutaneous including the rib. All flaps survived with good contour. We concluded that this thin and reliable flap was useful for reconstruction of various defects, and that the composition of the flap, such as subcutaneous, muscle and bone, gave it considerable flexibility as needed.
Free Tissue Flaps* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Pliability ; Ribs ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Tissue Donors

An ELISA was established to measure bovine IgG directed against the recombinant antigenic determinant of Nc-p43, a major surface antigen of Neospora caninum. In a previous study, two thirds of the Cterminal of the molecule was expressed as a 6 x His tagged protein (Ncp43P) for ELISA using 2/3 of the N-terminal of SAG1 from Toxoplasma gondii as a control (TgSAG1A). Among 852 cattle sera collected from stock farms scattered nation-wide, 103 sera (12.1%) were found to react with Ncp43P positively, but no positive reaction was observed with TgSAG1A. This study shows that Ncp43P could be available as an efficient antigen for the diagnosis of neosporosis in cattle. Furthermore, it together with TgSAG1A, could be useful for the differential diagnosis of N. caninum and T. gondii infections in other mammals.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/diagnosis/epidemiology ; Coccidiosis/diagnosis/epidemiology/veterinary ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods/*veterinary ; Immunoglobulin G/*analysis ; Neospora/*immunology ; Protozoan Proteins/*immunology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies