No abstract available.
Adrenocortical Carcinoma*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Melena*

No abstract available.
Bromodeoxyuridine* ; Hep G2 Cells* ; Kinetics* ; Tretinoin*

The renal veins drain the kidney into the inferior vena cava and unite in a variable fashion to form the renal vein. The left renal vein is normally located in front of the aorta. However, the retro-aortic renal vein may course posterior to the aorta due to embryological developmental anomalies. During educational dissection, a rare variation of the left renal vein was found in a 66-year old male cadaver. The double retro-aortic renal veins coursed behind the aorta to drain into the inferior vena cava. The superior retro-aortic renal vein drained into the inferior vena cava at the lower border of the L2 vertebra, and the inferior retro-aortic renal vein drained into the inferior vena cava at the upper border of the L4 vertebra. Such a variant is rare, and is a clinically important observation which should be noted by vascular surgeons, oncologists, and traumatologists.
Aorta ; Cadaver ; Humans ; Kidney ; Male ; Renal Veins ; Spine ; Vena Cava, Inferior

OBJECTIVES: Protein-calorie malnutrition has been shown to be prevalent among patients on chronic dialysis, And assessment of nutritional status of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis(CAPD) patients has assumed greater importance because of the association of protein-calorie malnutrition with increasing morbidity and mortality. So we observed the incidence and clinical effect of protein-calorie malnutrition, and we compared the indices of nutrition with dialysis adequacy utilizing urea kinetic modeling and cretinine clearance in CAPD patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study in which eight parameters, based on anthropometry, blood chemistry and subjective symptoms, were scored according to the degree of abnormalities in 82CAPD patients. A malnutrition index was derived from these scores. We also performed comparative analysis to identify significant correlations of the indices of urea kinetic modeling and creatinine clearance with the other parameters of nutritional status. RESULTS: The malnutrition index classified 47(57%) patients as normal, 30(37%) intermediately malnourished, and 5(6%) as severely malnourished. Malnutrition index showed a significant correlation with the body mass index(BMI), triceps skinfold thickness(TSF), mid-arm circumference(MAC), mid-arm muscle area (MAMA), duration of CAPD, subjective symptoms, serum albumin, transferrin, cholesterol, and triglyceride. The malnutrition index also showed a significant correlation with residual renal function(RRF), and standardized creatinine clearance(SCCr). The TWR-Kt/V(total Kt/Vurea per week with consideration of residual renal urea clearance) was significantly lower in the severely malnourished group than in the normal group. Serum alkaline phosphatase and BUN levels were higher in the severely malnourished group than in the normal and inter-mediate groups. CONCLUSION: In assessing the nutrition status of CAPD patients, body weight, TSF, MAC, MAMA, subjective symptoms, serum albumin, transferrin, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea nitrogen, and alkaline phosphatase were considered useful parameters. There was a trend of increased BUN and decreased TWR-Kt/V in severely malnourished patients, and the value of SCCr was significantly lower in malnourished patients. However, no meaningful relationships between TW-Kt/V and malnutrition index or between NPCR(normalized protein catabolic rate) and malnutrition index were found m this cross-sectional study. As the number of patients with longer duration of CAPD or negligible RRF has increased in the malnourished patients, regular monitoring of these parameters, especially TWR-Kt/V and SCCr, may be helpful to assess dialysis adequacy to keep good nutritional status of each CAPD patient.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Anthropometry ; Body Weight ; Chemistry ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Malnutrition ; Mortality ; Nitrogen ; Nutritional Status ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Protein-Energy Malnutrition ; Serum Albumin ; Transferrin ; Triglycerides ; Urea*

PURPOSE: There have only been a few studies on optimal usage of injection material in the regional nerve block for lower extremity operations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of different concentrations of ropivacaine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 339 patients underwent lower extremity surgery under ultrasound-guided nerve block (combined femoral and sciatic nerve block) at a Chungnam National University Hospital between March 2016 and February 2017 and were randomly assigned to three groups: Group A (0.5%, 44 ml), group B (0.6%, 30 ml), and group C (0.75%, 30 ml). The interval between nerve block procedure and onset of the complete anesthetic effect (complete anesthetic time) was investigated. The degrees of intraoperative pain, and postoperative pain were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) score. Patient's satisfaction (0–10) was investigated. To evaluate the efficacy in accordance with the concentration under the same dose and same volume, group A and B were compared with group C respectively. RESULTS: There were 108, 118, and 113, in groups A, B, and C, respectively; and there were no significant differences with respect to the number, age, sex, and type of operation (p>0.05). The mean complete anesthetic times were 78.5, 76.4, and 58.6 minutes, respectively. The mean intraoperative VAS scores were 2.04, 0.62, and 0.24; and the mean postoperative VAS scores (6 hours/12 hours) were 2.41/4.08, 0.27/1.24, and 0.38/1.54. The mean patient's satisfactory scores were 8.53, 9.38, and 9.40, respectively. Compared with group C, group A showed significantly longer complete anesthetic time (p < 0.05) and higher intra, postoperative VAS scores (all p < 0.05). Group B showed longer complete anesthetic time (p < 0.05), but no significant difference of intra, postoperative VAS scores (all p>0.05). Patient's satisfactory scores in both group A and B were similar to group C (p>0.05, p>0.05). There were no specific adverse reactions in all groups. CONCLUSION: Ropivacaine 0.6% as well as 0.75% are safe and effective anesthetics under the same volume (30 ml) for regional nerve block of the lower extremity. However, taking into account of the longer complete anesthetic time, the operation start time must be adjusted.
Anesthetics ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Femoral Nerve ; Humans ; Lower Extremity* ; Nerve Block* ; Pain, Postoperative ; Prospective Studies* ; Sciatic Nerve ; Ultrasonography

The root bark of mulberry (Morus alba L. Cortex Mori and other plant of the genus Morus) has been used as an antiphlogistic, diuretic, and expectorant in herbal medicine, and the crude drug is known as "Sangbaikpi" in Korea. Capsaicin, a neurotoxin extracted from a red peppers, has selective effects on peptide-containing C-fiber and induces the release of neuropeptides from sensory nerve ending. But, any reports about the influences of Cortex mori (CM) on the capsaicin-induced neurogenic inflammation were not found, and the precise mechanism of capsaicin-induced neurogenic inflammation remains incompletely understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether CM could inhibit the capsaicin-induced cutaneous reaction, and to find out its action mechanism. For this purpose, influences of CM on the capsaicin-induced cutaneous reaction (vascular permeability) in back skin of Sprague-Dawley rat, capsaicin-induced histamine release, calcium influx and the change of intracellular cAMP level in rat peritoneal mast cell were estimated. Results obtained were as follows; 1. Pretreatment of CM inhibited remarkably the capsaicin-induced cutaneous reaction. 2. The capsaicin-induced histamine release was inhibited by pretreatment with CM. 3. Capsaicin-induced calcium influx into mast cell was also inhibited by pretreatment with CM. 4. Capsaicin-induced decrease of cAMP level in the mast cell was inhibited significantly by pretreatment with CM. These results suggest that CM contains some substances with an anti-neurogenic inflammatory activity which inhibit the capsaicin-induced cutaneous reaction through the mechanism of mast cell stabilization.
Animals ; Calcium ; Capsaicin ; Capsicum ; Herbal Medicine ; Histamine Release ; Korea ; Mast Cells ; Morus ; Neurogenic Inflammation* ; Neuropeptides ; Plants ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sensory Receptor Cells ; Skin

Increasingly aggressive chemotherapy regimens, advances in transplantation technology, and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome have resulted in a growing number of immunocompromised patients. Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. One of the most ominous complications is the development of typhlitis in this immunocompromised patients. Treatment of this process is controversial, and no consensus has emerged. We report a case of typhlitis who complicated agranulocytosis after exposure to drugs to treat "flu" like illness and recovered completely after two operations of appendectomy and ileocolectomy. Reviewing articles and this case, the favorable outcome seemed to be related to following three factors recognition of the acute surgical abdomen by abdominal CT scan, a prompt return of normal circulating white cells by the use of Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor and discontinuation of causative drugs, and an appropriately timed surgical intervention.
Abdomen ; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Agranulocytosis* ; Appendectomy ; Colony-Stimulating Factors ; Consensus ; Drug Therapy ; Granulocytes ; Immunocompromised Host ; Mortality ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Typhlitis*

OBJECTIVES: Protein-calorie malnutrition has been shown to be prevalent among patients on long-term hemodialysis(HD) patients. And assessment of nutritional status of HD patients has assumed greater importance because of the association of protein- calorie malnutrition with increasing morbidity and mortality. So we observed the incidence and clinical effect of protein-calorie malnutrition, and we compared the indices of nutrition with dialysis adequacy utilizing urea kinetic modeling in HD patients. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study in which eight parameters, based on anthropometry, blood chemistry and subjective symptoms, were scored according to the degree of abnormalities in 48 HD patients. A malnutrition index was derived from these scores. We also performed comparative analysis to identify significant correlations of the indices of urea kinetic modeling with the other parameters of nutritional status. RESULTS: The malnutrition index classified 12(25 %) patients as normal, 28(58%) intermediately malnourished, and 8(17%) as severely malnourished. Malnutrition index showed a significant correlation with the body mass index(BMI), mid-arm circumference(MAC), mid-arm muscle area(MAMA), duration of HD, total lymphocyte count,trnsferrin. The malnutrition index also showed a significant correlation with renal creatinine clearance(Ccr), alkaline phosphatase. However, malnutrition index showed no meaningful correlation with TWR-Kt/V, TW-Kt/V, BUN, cholesterol,calcium, triglyceride. The value of Ccr was significantly lower in the severely malnourished and intermediately group than in the normal group. CONCLUSION: In assessing the nutritional status of HD patients, body weight, MAC, MAMA, duration of HD, total lymphocyte count, transferrin, alkaline phosphatase and Ccr were considered useful parameters. No meaningful relationships between TW-Kt/V and malnutrition index or between NPCR (normalized protein catabolic rate) and malnutrition index were found in this cross-sectional study. As the number of patients with longer duration of HD or negligible Ccr has increased in the malnourished patients, regular monitoring of these parameters, especially TWR-Kt/V and residual renal function may be helpful to assess dialysis adequacy to keep good nutritional status of each HD patient.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Anthropometry ; Body Weight ; Chemistry ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocytes ; Malnutrition ; Mortality ; Nutritional Status ; Protein-Energy Malnutrition ; Renal Dialysis* ; Transferrin ; Triglycerides ; Urea*

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) found in various cruciferous vegetables has been shown to exert anti-carcinogenic activity in several target organs. Our study was conducted to assess the modifying effect of I3C on the development of colon tumor induced by azoxymethane (AOM). Eighty-seven male F344 rats were divided into 5 groups and were treated with AOM followed by I3C 100 or 300 ppm, AOM alone, I3C alone, and non-treatment, respectively. The animals were subcutaneously injected with AOM. Then diet containing I3C were fed to the rats for 37 weeks. All rats were sacrificed at 40 weeks. Liver and kidney weights of rats treated with I3C at doses of 100 or 300 ppm were significantly increased compared to those of the control group. Colonic tumor incidence and multiplicity of rats treated with I3C at doses of 100 and 300 ppm were not significant compared to those of AOM alone group. In the pathological examination, most of tumors were classified with adenoma and adenocarcinoma in the small and large intestine. These results demonstrated that I3C may have not chemopreventive effect on the rat colon carcinogenesis.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adenoma ; Animals ; Azoxymethane ; Colon ; Diet ; Humans ; Incidence ; Indoles ; Intestine, Large ; Kidney ; Liver ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred F344 ; Vegetables ; Weights and Measures