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

Because it is rare, acute small bowel obstruction due to right paraduodenal hernia is an entity with which radiologists are not entirely familiar. Its clinical importance, however, lies in the fat that delayed diagnosis leads to significantly increased morbidity and mortality rates. We report a case of small bowel obstruction due to right paraduodenal hernia in which all the known characteristic findings were demonstrated.
Delayed Diagnosis ; Hernia* ; Mortality

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

The purpose of this study was to compare the dye leakage of MTA (mineral trioxide aggregate) apical plug produced by two orthograde placement techniques (hand condensation technique and ultrasonically assisted hand condensation technique). To simulate straight canal, 60 transparent acrylic blocks with straight canal were fabricated. These transparent acrylic blocks were divided into 2 groups (Group C; hand condensation technique (HC) and Group U; ultrasonically assisted hand condensation technique (UAHC)) of 30 blocks with each MTA application method. Each group was divided into 2 subgroups (n = 15) with different canal size of #70 (subgroup C70 and subgroup U70) and #120 (subgroup C120 and subgroup U120). After apical plug was created, a wet paper point was placed over the MTA plug and specimen was kept in a humid condition at room temperature to allow MTA to set. After 24 hours, remaining canal space was backfilled using Obtura II. All specimens were transferred to floral form socked by 0.2% rhodamine B solution and stored in 100% humidity at room temperature. After 48 hours, resin block specimens were washed and scanned using a scanner. The maximum length of microleakage was measured from the scanned images of four surfaces of each resin block using Photoshop 6.0. Statistical analysis was performed with Mann-Whitney U test. Group U of UAHC had significantly lower leakage than Group C of HC in #70-size canal (subgroup U70) (p < 0.05).
Glutamates ; Guanine ; Hand ; Humidity ; Rhodamines ; Root Canal Filling Materials ; Ultrasonics ; Pemetrexed

Hepatitis B virus x gene product (HBx) is known to be a transactivator of transcriptional elements that regulate the expression of a variety of genes associated with the growth, differentiation, survival and the apoptosis of cells. However, the exact mechanism of the activation and inhibition of cellular events by HBx remains uncertain. The present study was designed to measure the effect of HBx, on the signal transduction pathways associated with intracellular Ca(2+)mobilization following HBx transfection in the stable Chang liver cells (CHL-X). Enhanced cell proliferation by HBx in CHL-X was confirmed by MTT assay and by the immunodetection of PCNA. The transactivation of AP-1 by HBx induced in CHL-X was inhibited by cyclosporin A (CsA), a mitochondrial Ca(2+)channel blocker and by BAPTA-AM, a cytosolic Ca(2+)blocker. Activation of the SAPK/JNK signaling pathway by HBx was evidenced by the increased phosphorylations of c-Jun (Ser63) and of JNK (Thr183/Tyr185). Increased phospho-Erk/Erk and phospho-Raf1/Raf in HBx-induced CHL-X indicated that HBx might stimulate the MAPK pathway. PI3K activity and cytosolic free Ca(2+)levels were elevated in HBx-induced CHL-X. These results imply that HBx transactivates both JNK and MAPK signal transduction pathways in association with the mobilization of cytosolic Ca(2+).
1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/metabolism ; Calcium/*metabolism ; Calcium Signaling/*physiology ; Cell Division ; Hepatitis B Virus/*metabolism ; Human ; Liver/*metabolism ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism ; Trans-Activators/*metabolism ; Transcription Factor AP-1/metabolism

No abstract available.
Herbal Medicine* ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome*

PURPOSE: To examine the usefulness of various receptor tyrosine kinase expressions as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in muscle invasive urothelial cancer (UC) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 98 patients with muscle invasive UC who underwent radical cystectomy between 2005 and 2010 in Yonsei Cancer Center. Using formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues of primary tumors, immunohistochemical staining was done for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). RESULTS: There were 41 (41.8%), 44 (44.9%), and 14 (14.2%) patients who have over-expressed HER2, FGFR1, and FGFR3, respectively. In univariate analysis, significantly shorter median time to recurrence (TTR) (12.9 months vs. 49.0 months; p=0.008) and overall survival (OS) (22.3 months vs. 52.7 months; p=0.006) was found in patients with FGFR1 overexpression. By contrast, there was no difference in TTR or OS according to the HER2 and FGFR3 expression status. FGFR1 remained as a significant prognostic factor for OS with hazard ratio of 2.23 (95% confidence interval: 1.27-3.90, p=0.006) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Our result showed that FGFR1 expression, but not FGFR3, is an adverse prognostic factor in muscle invasive UC patients after radical cystectomy. FGFR1 might be feasible for prognosis prediction and a potential therapeutic target after thorough validation in muscle invasive UC.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma/*metabolism/*mortality/surgery ; Cystectomy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Muscles/pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/*metabolism ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3/metabolism ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/*metabolism/*mortality/surgery ; Urothelium/pathology

Telomerase play a key role in the maintenance of telomere length and chromosome integrity. We have evaluated the association between telomerase activity and the risk of lung cancer in peripheral blood. Telomerase activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was measured by a PCR-designed telomeric repeat amplification protocol in 63 lung cancer patients and 190 healthy controls that were matched for age, gender, and smoking status. Telomerase activity was significantly lower in the lung cancer patients than in controls (mean +/- standard deviation; 1.32 +/- 1.65 vs 2.60 +/- 3.09, P < 1 x 10(-4)). When telomerase activity was categorized into quartiles based on telomerase activity in the controls, the risk of lung cancer increased as telomerase activity reduced (Ptrend = 1 x 10(-4)). Moreover, when the subjects were categorized based on the median value of telomerase activity, subjects with low telomerase activity were at a significantly increased risk of lung cancer compared to subjects with high telomerase activity (adjusted odds ratio = 3.05, 95% confidence interval = 1.60-5.82, P = 7 x 10-4). These findings suggest that telomerase activity may affect telomere maintenance, thereby contributing to susceptibility to lung cancer.
Age Factors ; Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/enzymology/immunology ; Lung Neoplasms/*enzymology/*etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Smoking ; Telomerase/*blood

PURPOSE: To determine the rate of congruence and to standardize assessment of US (ultrasound) phantom images with the use of an ATS-539 multipurpose phantom for US equipment currently utilized in Korea MATERIALS AND METHODS: US phantom images were scanned with a 3.0-5.0 MHz convex transducer and were digitized by use of an analogue-digital converter. Members of a committee with consent evaluated the US phantom images from 108 types of ultrasound equipment. The dead zone, vertical and horizontal measurement, axial/lateral resolution, focal zone, sensitivity, functional resolution and gray scale/dynamic range were evaluated. Congruence or incongruence of ultrasound equipment was determined based on the results of dead zone, axial/lateral resolution and gray scale/dynamic range measurements. Other factors were evaluated for the possibility as criteria with the use of the Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The dead zone, axial/lateral resolution and gray scale/dynamic range were 91.7%, 94.4% and 76.9%, respectively, for suitable US equipment. Considering all three factors, 78 types of ultrasound equipment were passed. The congruence rate of focal zone and functional resolution were 62.4% and 69.3% of the US equipment, respectively. CONCLUSION: Of the US equipment, 72.2% of the equipment was acceptable based on the dead zone, axial/lateral resolution, and gray scale/dynamic range measurements as determined with the use of an ATS-539 phantom. Focal zone and 8 mm-functional resolution can be useful as a standard in the assessment of a US phantom image.
Korea ; Quality Control ; Transducers

Diabetes insipidus (DI) is characterized by excessive urination and thirst. This disease results from inadequate output of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) from the pituitary gland or the absence of the normal response to ADH in the kidney. We present a case of transient central DI in a patient who underwent a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). A 44-yr-old male underwent a CABG operation. An hour after the operation, the patient developed polyuria and was diagnosed with central DI. The patient responded to desmopressin and completely recovered five days after surgery. It is probable that transient cerebral ischemia resulted in the dysfunction of osmotic receptors in the hypothalamus or hypothalamus-pituitary axis during CPB. It is also possible that cardiac standstill altered the left atrial non-osmotic receptor function and suppressed ADH release. Therefore, we suggest that central DI is a possible cause of polyuria after CPB.
Adult ; Antidiuretic Agents/therapeutic use ; Coronary Artery Bypass/*adverse effects ; Coronary Vessels ; Deamino Arginine Vasopressin/therapeutic use ; Diabetes Insipidus, Neurogenic/*diagnosis/drug therapy/etiology ; Humans ; Hypothalamus/radionuclide imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pituitary Gland/radionuclide imaging ; Polyuria/diagnosis/etiology ; Postoperative Complications/*diagnosis/drug therapy/etiology