OBJECTIVE: 6-Gingerol, one component of ginger (Zingiber officinale) compound, has been known to possess anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-emetic, and anti-cancer effects. In this study, the apoptotic ability of 6-gingerol was investigated in human prostate cancer cells. METHODS: 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, and western blot analysis were done in LNCaP human prostate cancer cell lines treated with the various doses of 6-gingerol for the different durations of drug exposure. RESULTS: 6-Gingerol in doses ranging from 100 to 300 microM induced dose- and time-dependent inhibition of cell viability in prostate cancer cells by using MTT assay. Maximal inhibition of cell viability was observed at 300 microM of 6-gingerol for 48 hours treatment in LNCaP cells. 6-Gingerol at the dose of 100 microM did not produce any significant change in apoptotic cells in flow cytometry analysis. However, significant increase in sub-G0/G1 phase was observed in cells treated with 200 and 300 microM of 6-gingerol. Any significant cell cycle arrest was not induced by 6-gingerol. In western blotting analysis, expression of caspase-3 was not evident in cells treated with 6-gingerol for 24 hours. However, 48 hours treatment with 6-gingerol altered the expression of caspase-3 in LNCaP cells. Expression of cleaved poly showed the dose-dependent fashion in both 24 hours and 48 hours treatment of 6-gingerol. CONCLUSION: These observations suggest that 6-gingerol may induce apoptosis in LNCaP human prostate cancer cells.
Apoptosis ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; Catechols ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Line ; Cell Survival ; Fatty Alcohols ; Flow Cytometry ; Ginger ; Humans ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases ; Prostate ; Prostatic Neoplasms

A Case of double pylorus, in 56 year old man, was diagnosed by fiberoptic gastroscopy and upper gastrointestinal series. Two ovoid large openings of pyloric canal divided by smooth thickened septum were observed endoscopically And the relevant literatures on tihe subject were reviewed.
Gastroscopy ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pylorus*

Sagittal synostosis is the most common isolated craniosynostosis and usually recognized in early infancy. Numerous surgical techniques including strip craniectomy, the pi procedure, subtotal calvariectomy have been used, and they are usually successful if carried out in early infancy. Unfortunately, some children with sagittal synostosis are not considered for surgical correction by the age of 2 years. From March 2001 to February 2002, we have experienced two children older than 2 years of age with sagittal synostosis, and in all cases, performed total cranial vault remodeling with minimal bony defect. Reconstruction consisted of shortening of the sagittal midline strut, barrel stave osteotomy of temporal region, and right angled Z-osteotomy of parieto-occipital region. Using right angled Z-osteotomy, we can easily reshape and fix parieto-occipital bone flap with good stability and esthetic results. We report our technique for the late correction of scaphocephaly in two children with satisfactory results
Child ; Craniosynostoses* ; Humans ; Osteotomy

No abstract available.
Aeromonas hydrophila* ; Aeromonas* ; Animals ; Histamine Release* ; Histamine* ; Mast Cells* ; Rats*

In an earlier study, a site directed mutant rFVIII (rFVIII(m), Arg(336) -> Gln(336)) expressed in baculovirus-insect cell (Sf9) system was found to sustain high level activity during incubation at 37 for 24 h while the cofactor activity of normal plasma was declined steadily. In this study, a mutant B-domain deleted rFVIII(m), Arg(336) -> Gln(336) expressed in baculovirus-insect cell (Sf9) system was characterized for its enzymatic and chemical properties. The expressed rFVIII(m) and plasma FVIII (pFVIII) were purified by immunoaffinity column chromatography and identified by Western blot analysis. The partially purified rFVIII(m) exhibited cofactor specific activity of 2.01 X 10(3)units/mg protein. The molecular weight of rFVIII(m) ranged between 40 to 150 kDa with a major band at 150 kDa. Treatment of both rFVIII(m) and pFVIII with thrombin increased their cofactor activity in a similar pattern. Treatment of both the activated rFVIII(m) and native FVIII with APC decreased their cofactor activities, however, the former exhibited a slower decrease than the latter, although no significant difference was present. rFVIII(m) formed a complex with vWF, resulting in a stabilized form, and the lag period of thrombin-mediated activating was extended by vWF association. These results implicated that rFVIII(m) expressed in baculovirus-insect cell system had a comparable capacity as FVIII cofactor activity and might be a good candidate for the FVIII replacement therapy for hemophilia A patients.
Animals ; Baculoviridae/genetics ; Cell Line ; Factor VIII/biosynthesis/*genetics/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Insects ; Macromolecular Systems ; Mutation/*genetics ; Protein C/pharmacology ; Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis/*genetics/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Thrombin/pharmacology ; von Willebrand Factor/metabolism

PURPOSE: The significance of constitutive apoptosis in the development and progression of transitional ceil carcinoma of the bladder has yet to be investigated. The wild type p53 gene is known to play a significant role in apoptosis. Therefore, mutation of p53 gene, which correlates closely with p53 protein overexpression, would be predicted to limit apoptosis. We evlauated the prognostic significance of apoptosis and the relationship between apoptosis and mutant p53 overexpression in transitional cell carcinoma of bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The extent of apoptosis was determined by TUNEL(terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated biotinylated deoxyuridine-triphosphate nick end labeling) stain in 64 paraffin embedded tissue of primacy transitional cell carcinoma specimens. Also, the level of p53 overexpression was determined immunohistochemically on the same tissue. RESULTS: Although the incidence of apoptosis increased with increasing tumor grade, the difference in indices between grade II and grade III failed to reach statistical significance. The mean apoptotic index(AI) of grade I tumors was significantly lower than that of grade III tumors(p=0.0023). The apoptotic index was not related to p53 overexpression, T(tumor)-category, growth type of tumors and also there was no significant difference in disease-free survival between the bladder tumors with high as opposed to low apoptotic index. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that AI is related to histological grade in transitional cell bladder tumor, while AI hardly has any independent prognostic significance.
Apoptosis* ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell* ; Disease-Free Survival ; DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase ; Genes, p53 ; Incidence ; Paraffin ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; Urinary Bladder*

Despite the careful regulation of serum calcium, calcification of cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues may occur. Calcification is the deposition of insoluble calcium salts; when it occurs in cutaneous tissues, it is known as calcinosis cutis. Calcinosis cutis is classified into four types: metastatic calcinosis cutis, dystrophic calcinosis cutis, idiopathic calcinosis cutis, and subepidermal calcified nodule. From January 2000 to May 2001, we have experienced 3 patients with calcinosis cutis. Two cases were dystrophic calcinosis cutis associated with radiation therapy and old burn scar with complications of delayed wound healing after punch biopsy, despite of conservative treatment for several weeks. Another was idiopathic calcinosis cutis. We performed surgical treatments in all cases: wide excision and pectoralis major muscle rotational flap coverage, wide excision and split-thickness skin graft, and excision and direct closure. No patients experienced wound healing problems. We believed surgical excision and appropriate reconstruction procedure is an effective theraphy in localized or ulcerated and chronic infected calcinosis cutis.
Biopsy ; Burns ; Calcinosis* ; Calcium ; Cicatrix ; Humans ; Salts ; Skin ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Transplants ; Ulcer ; Wound Healing

Cutaneous metastasis from breast cancer can occur by direct invasion, lymphatic and vascular spread as well as iatrogenic implantation. Metastasis that occurs by iatrogenic implantation after needle biopsy is very rare but the potential risk must be considered. In this report, we describe a case of breast cancer cutaneous metastasis that occurred by iatrogenic implantation following core needle biopsy. A 53-year-old woman presented with a 1x1 cm sized erythematous nodule at the biopsy site after breast conserving surgery for primary cancer. Histopathological findings confirmed cutaneous metastasis. The possibility of this consequence must be considered when performing needle biopsies.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle ; Biopsy, Needle ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Humans ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis

6-Gingerol exerts anti-tumor effects in various cancer cell models. We evaluated the effect of 6-gingerol on the growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and MCF-10A breast epithelial cells to determine whether any growth-inhibitory effects found were attributable to apoptosis, and to elucidate the underlying mechanism of action. 6-Gingerol inhibited the viability of both cell lines in a dose- and time-dependent manner; however, the degree of inhibition was greater in MCF-7 than MCF-10A cells. By flow cytometry, induction of dose- and time-dependent apoptosis was found, and the magnitude of apoptosis was also markedly greater in MCF-7 than MCF-10A cells. Expression of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was observed in MCF-7 cells treated with 6-gingerol, and further cleavage of PARP occurred in these cells. We suggest that 6-gingerol induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells mainly by promoting caspase-3 expression and subsequent degradation of PARP.
Apoptosis ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Caspase 3 ; Cell Line ; Epithelial Cells ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans* ; MCF-7 Cells

Cutaneous cholesterol embolism is a disease due to the embolism of cholesterol crystals from ulcerated atheromatous plaques to peripheral vessels of the skin. It has been associated with major vessel surgery, angiography, angioplasty, intra-aortic balloon pump placement, anticoagulation, thrombolytic therapy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In addition, it may occur spontaneously. In paraffin-fixed sections, the cholesterol crystals are dissolved and leave needle-like clefts within the lumina of arterioles. We report a case of cutaneous cholesterol embolism in a 72-year-old woman who had purplish gangrenous lesions on both her feet after coronary angiography and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
Aged ; Angiography ; Angioplasty ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Arterioles ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ; Cholesterol* ; Coronary Angiography ; Embolism ; Embolism, Cholesterol* ; Female ; Foot ; Humans ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Skin ; Thrombolytic Therapy ; Ulcer