Biliary stents are widely used not only for palliative treatment of malignant biliary obstruction but also for benign biliary diseases. Each plastic stent or self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) has its own advantages, and a proper stent should be selected carefully for individual condition. To compensate and overcome several drawbacks of SEMS, functional self-expandable metal stent (FSEMS) has been developed with much progress so far. This article looks into the outcomes and defects of each stent type for benign biliary stricture and describes newly introduced FSEMSs according to their functional categories.
Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic ; Biliary Tract ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; Palliative Care ; Plastics ; Stents

Abnormal adaptation of the stress-response system following traumatic stress can lead to alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis that may contribute to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study used several behavioral tests to investigate the anxiolytic-like and antidepressant activity of L-tetrahydropalmatine (L-THP) in an experimental rat model of anxiety and depression induced by single prolonged stress (SPS), an animal model of PTSD. Male rats were treated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with vehicle or varied doses of THP 30 min prior to SPS for 8 consecutive days. Daily THP (50 mg/kg) administration significantly increased the number and duration of open arm visits in the elevated plus maze (EPM) test, reduced the anxiety index, increased the risk assessment, and increased the number of head dips over the borders of the open arms after SPS. THP was also associated with increased time spent at the center of the open field, reduced grooming behaviors in the EPM test, and reduced time spent immobile in the forced swimming test (FST). It also blocked the decrease in neuropeptide Y (NPY) and the increase in corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) expression in the hypothalamus. This is the first study to determine that THP exerts pronounced anxiolytic-like and antidepressant effects on the development of the behavioral and biochemical symptoms associated with PTSD, indicating its prophylactic potential. Thus, THP reversed several behavioral impairments triggered by the traumatic stress of SPS and is a potential non-invasive therapeutic intervention for PTSD.
Animals ; Anxiety* ; Arm ; Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Depression ; Grooming ; Head ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Neuropeptide Y ; Physical Exertion ; Rats* ; Risk Assessment ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

PURPOSE: Echinacea, a traditional plant medicine has been used as immune-stimulant. Recent studies have revealed that extract of Echinacea has immunostimulatory effects on human blood mononuclear cells. This study was designed for the purpose of screening the genes associated with immunologic effects of Echinacea on monocytes and dendritic cells using a cDNA microarray chip. METHODS: CD14+monocyte cells were cultured for one day with Echinacea extract (final concentration: 50 microgram/mL) in experiment 1, but were cultured without Echinacea in experiment 2. The gene expression of these cultured monocytes was analyzed using the cDNA microarray chip. Dendritic cells produced from CD14+monocyte were cultured for five days with GM-CSF and IL-4, and then cultured for one day with Echinacea in experiment 3, but were done without Echinacea in experiment 4. RESULTS: In experiments 1 and 2, there were 17 significantly expressed genes with average expression ratios above 2.5, including interferon gamma-inducible protein 30 (IFI 30), CDC (cell-division-cylcle)-like kinase 2 (CLK 2), syndecan binding protein (syntenin), superoxide dismutase 2, etc. In experiments 3 and 4, there were 24 gene, with significantly expressed genes were 24 genes, which were insulin-like growth factor 2 (somatomedin A), methyl-CpG binding domain protein 3, IFI 30, small inducible cytokine subfamily A, member 22, etc. The genes encoding CD44, IFI 30, mannose receptor C type 1 (MRC 1), chemokine receptor 7 (CCR 7), CLK 2, syntenin and cytochrome C oxidase subunit VIII were significantly expressed in both monocytes and dendritic cells cultured with Echinacea. CONCLUSION: This study employed a cDNA microarray chip to elicit the immune-associated gene profile; the expression was enhanced by Echinacea in CD14+monocytes and dendritic cells. Thus we laid the basis for the quantitative and functional analysis of genes induced by Echinacea in monocytes and monocyte-derived dendritic cells.
Carrier Proteins ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Dendritic Cells* ; Echinacea* ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; Gene Expression* ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans ; Interferons ; Interleukin-4 ; Mannose ; Mass Screening ; Monocytes* ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Phosphotransferases ; Plants ; Superoxide Dismutase ; Syndecans ; Syntenins

Neuroinflammation is an important process underlying a wide variety of neurodegenerative diseases. Carvacrol (CAR) is a phenolic monoterpene commonly used as a food additive due to its antibacterial properties, but it has also been shown to exhibit strong antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Here, we sought to investigate the effects of CAR on inflammation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. In our study, lipopolysaccharide was injected into the lateral ventricle of rats to induce memory impairment and neuroinflammation. Daily administration of CAR (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) for 21 days improved recognition, discrimination, and memory impairments relative to untreated controls. CAR administration significantly attenuated expression of several inflammatory factors in the brain, including interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and cyclooxygenase-2. In addition, CAR significantly increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA, and decreased expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA. Taken together, these results show that CAR can improve memory impairment caused by neuroinflammation. This cognitive enhancement is due to the anti-inflammatory effects of CAR medicated by its regulation of BDNF and TLR4. Thus, CAR has significant potential as an inhibitor of memory degeneration in neurodegenerative diseases.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Cytokines ; Discrimination (Psychology) ; Food Additives ; Hippocampus ; Inflammation ; Lateral Ventricles ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Memory ; Necrosis ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Phenol ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Rats ; RNA, Messenger ; Toll-Like Receptor 4

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-induced psychiatric disorder characterized by impaired fear extermination, hyperarousal, anxiety, depression, and amnesic symptoms that may involve the release of monoamines in the fear circuit. The present study measured several anxiety-related behavioral responses to examine the effects of berberine (BER) on symptoms of anxiety in rats after single prolonged stress (SPS) exposure, and to determine if BER reversed the dopamine (DA) dysfunction. Rats received BER (10, 20, or 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally, once daily) for 14 days after SPS exposure. BER administration significantly increased the time spent in the open arms and reduced grooming behavior during the elevated plus maze test, and increased the time spent in the central zone and the number of central zone crossings in the open field test. BER restored neurochemical abnormalities and the SPS-induced decrease in DA tissue levels in the hippocampus and striatum. The increased DA concentration during BER treatment may partly be attributed to mRNA expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and the DA transporter in the hippocampus, while BER exerted no significant effects on vesicular monoamine transporter mRNA expression in the hippocampus of rats with PTSD. These results suggest that BER had anxiolytic-like effects on behavioral and biochemical measures associated with anxiety. These findings support a role for reduced anxiety altered DAergic transmission and reduced anxiety in rats with PTSD. Thus, BER may be a useful agent to treat or alleviate psychiatric disorders like those observed in patients with PTSD.
Animals ; Anxiety* ; Arm ; Berberine* ; Depression ; Dopamine* ; Grooming ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase ; Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-induced psychiatric disorder characterized by impaired fear extermination, hyperarousal, and anxiety that may involve the release of monoamines in the fear circuit. The reported pharmacological properties of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) include anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, and neuropsychiatric activities. However, the anxiolytic-like effects of TMP and its mechanism of action in PTSD are unclear. This study measured several anxiety-related behavioral responses to examine the effects of TMP on symptoms of anxiety in rats after single prolonged stress (SPS) exposure by reversing the serotonin (5-HT) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. Rats were given TMP (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg, i.p.) for 14 days after SPS exposure. Administration of TMP significantly reduced grooming behavior, increased the time spent and number of visits to the open arm in the elevated plus maze test, and significantly increased the number of central zone crossings in the open field test. TMP administration significantly reduced the freezing response to contextual fear conditioning and significantly restored the neurochemical abnormalities and the SPS-induced decrease in 5-HT tissue levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The increased 5-HT concentration during TMP treatment might be partially attribute to the tryptophan and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid mRNA level expression in the hippocampus of rats with PTSD. These findings support a role for reducing the altered serotonergic transmission in rats with PTSD. TMP simultaneously attenuated the HPA axis dysfunction. Therefore, TMP may be useful for developing an agent for treating psychiatric disorders, such those observed in patients with PTSD.
Animals ; Anxiety ; Arm ; Freezing ; Grooming ; Hippocampus ; Humans ; Models, Animal* ; Prefrontal Cortex ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Serotonin ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Thymidine Monophosphate ; Tryptophan

Glycyrrhizae radix (GR) is an herbal medicine that is commonly used in the East Asia for treating a variety of diseases, including stomach disorders. The objective of the present study was to examine the anti-stress effects of GR on repeated stress-induced alterations of anxiety, learning and memory in rats. Restraint stress was administered for 14 days (2 h/day) to the rats in the Control and GR groups (400 mg/kg/day, PO). Starting on the eighth day, the rats were tested for spatial memory on the Morris water maze test (MW) and for anxiety on the elevated plus maze (EPM). We studied the changes of the expressions of cholineacetyl transferase (ChAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the locus coerleus (LC) using immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the rats treated with GR had significantly reduced stress-induced deficits on their learning and memory on the spatial memory tasks. In addition, the ChAT immunoreactivities were increased. Gor the EPM, treatment with GR increased the time spent in the open arms (p<0.001) as compared to that of the control group. Moreover, GR treatment also normalized the increases of the TH expression in the LC (p<0.001). In conclusion, administration of GR improved spatial learning and memory and reduced stress-induced anxiety. Thus, the present results suggest that GR has the potential to attenuate the behavioral and neurochemical impairments caused by stress.
Animals ; Anxiety ; Arm ; Far East ; Glycyrrhiza ; Herbal Medicine ; Immunohistochemistry ; Learning ; Memory ; Rats ; Stomach ; Transferases ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

Gastrointestinal involvement has been reported to occur in about 5 to l0% of patients with lymphoma. The most common gastrointestinal site for a lymphoma is the stomach, followed by the small intestine and ileocecal region. When lymphoma is found in the esap us, generally it is with contiguous involvement of the gastric fundus, the cervical node, secondary to mediastinal lymph node compression, or a late manifestation of advanced desease. Such cases cannot be labeled as primary esophageal lymphoma. A search of the literature reveals that there have been about 20 or more published cases classified as esophageal lymphoma. However, more than ten cases are indistingishable from the case of distal esophageal involvement by gastric lymphoma. In 1935, Chiolero described a case of midesophageal stricture, which at autopsy was consistent with Hodgkin's disease for the first time. Berman reported an authentic case of primary histiocytic lymphoma confined to the lower esophagus. Only six or more cases were reported in literature until the present time. Here, a 30-year-old man with substernal discomfort was shown to have a mass lesion on the esophagus. The mass was proved to be malignant lymphoma on the histologic examination. This may be the first report dealing with spontaneous regression of maligant lymphoma of the esophagus possibly associated with the use of cimetidine.
Adult ; Autopsy ; Cimetidine ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Esophagus* ; Gastric Fundus ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Intestine, Small ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphoma* ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; Stomach

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Colorectal cancer occurs more frequently in old age. Therefore, it is important to understand the clinical characteristics of colon cancer in old age. There have been some reports stating that frequency of right side colon cancer increased with aging. Therefore, we conducted a study about the distribution of colorectal cancer according to difterent age group. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of colorectal cancer patients diagnosed by colonoscopy between January 1999 to September 2003. The location of colorectal cancer was categorized into 2 groups: right-sided colon cancer (proximal to and including the splenic flexure), left-sided colon cancer (descending, sigmoid and rectum). RESULTS: Total 185 colorectal cancer patients were included in this study: 103 (55.7%) in men and 82 (44.3%) in women. The median age was 60.7+/-14.0 years. The proportion of patients with right-sided colon cancer increased with aging: <60 years, 20.3% (15/74); 60~69 years, 35.9% (23/64); 70~79 years, 43.3% (13/30); 80~89 years, 47.1% (8/17). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of right-sided colon cancer increases with age. Therefore, we think that, in screening colorectal cancer, colonoscopy should be preferred to sigmoidoscopy, especially in old age group.
Aging ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Sigmoidoscopy

We examined whether wogonin (WO) improved hippocampal neuronal activity, behavioral alterations and cognitive impairment, in rats induced by administration of trimethyltin (TMT), an organotin compound that is neurotoxic to these animals. The ability of WO to improve cognitive efficacy in the TMT-induced neurodegenerative rats was investigated using a passive avoidance test, and the Morris water maze test, and using immunohistochemistry to detect components of the acetylcholinergic system, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) expression. Rats injected with TMT showed impairments in learning and memory and daily administration of WO improved memory function, and reduced aggressive behavior. Administration of WO significantly alleviated the TMT-induced loss of cholinergic immunoreactivity and restored the hippocampal expression levels of BDNF and CREB proteins and their encoding mRNAs to normal levels. These findings suggest that WO might be useful as a new therapy for treatment of various neurodegenerative diseases.
Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Cholinergic Neurons ; Cognition Disorders ; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein ; Immunohistochemistry ; Learning ; Memory ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neurons* ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Water