BACKGROUND: Peripheral nerve injury may produce a syndrome consisting of spontaneous pain, allodynia and hyperpathia. Cholinesterase inhibitors are known to have an antinociceptive effect in hot plate and tail flick tests and to be mediated by spinal muscarinic system. The purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of intrathecally (i.t.) administered edrophonium and neostigmine on the touch-evoked allodynia and to identify the antagonism of antiallodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. METHODS: Sprague Dawley rats were prepared with tight ligation of left L5/L6 spinal nerves with 6~0 black silk and chronic lumbar intrathecal catheters. After obtaining the baseline hindpaw withdrawal scores, edrophonium (3~100ug) or neostigmine (0.3~10ug) was administered intrathecally. Tactile allodynia was measured using von Frey filaments and allodynic threshold was calculated by updown method. Motor dysfunction was assessed by observing righting/stepping reflex responses and abnormal weight bearing. To examine the reversal of antiallod ynia, muscarinic receptor antagonist atropine (10ug) or nicotinic receptor antagonist mecamylamine (10ug) was injected intrathecally 5 min. prior to injection of edrophonium or neostigmine. RESULTS: I.t. edrophonium and i.t. neostigmine produced a dose dependent antagonism of allodynic state but had moderate to severe effect on motor weakness at doses of 3 and 10 g of neostigmine. Pretreatment with i.t. atropine yielded a complete antagonism of antiallodynia in both drugs, but i.t. mecamylamine did not significantly reverse incresed allodynic threshold. CONCLUSIONS: These experiments suggest that i.t. edrophonium or i.t. neostigmine produces a dose dependent antagonism on touch-evoked allodynia at the spinal level and this antagonism is likely due to spinal muscarinic system.
Atropine ; Catheters ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; Edrophonium* ; Hyperalgesia ; Ligation ; Mecamylamine ; Models, Animal ; Neostigmine* ; Neuralgia* ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; Receptors, Nicotinic ; Reflex ; Silk ; Spinal Nerves ; Weight-Bearing

Many types of meniscal anomalies were reported. Authors found a double-layered lateral meniscus, with one meniscus overlying another. The 39-year old male patient had torn medial and lateral menisci. We performed partial medial and lateral meniscectomy, and incidentally found that lateral meniscus was double-layered. It was characteristic that the upper small accessory meniscus was firmly connected from the posterior horn to middle segments of the lower main meniscus along its peripheral edge. We left it alone. The symptoms were gone, So, it was thought that this anomaly was not related to the patient's symptoms.
Animals ; Horns ; Humans ; Male ; Menisci, Tibial

A subperiosteal ganglion has been very rarely reported, since Ollier reported first one in 1864. A subperiosteal ganglion is produced by mucoid degeneration and cyst formation within the periosteum, which results in cortical erosion. The characteristic plain radiolographic appearance of irregular cortical erosion and scalloping, with reactive periosteal bone spicules, has been considered pathognomonic of subperiosteal ganglion. Magnetic resonance imaging is performed to further characterize the soft tissue component of the mass. As in our patient, the characteristic signal intensities of magnetic resonance imaging are especially useful in identifying the lesion as a ganglion and in defining the lobular nature and the anatomical extent. We report here the case of a 35-year-old female who had a sudperiosteal ganglion of the distal radius.
Adult ; Female ; Ganglion Cysts* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pectinidae ; Periosteum ; Radius*

OBJECTIVES: Demands for comprehensive and intensive treatment programs for treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who suffer from serious impairment in various psychosocial areas are increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of developing new types of camp programs focused on improving social adjustment of children and helping parents effectively manage their children's problem behaviors. METHODS: Fifteen children diagnosed as ADHD according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (mean age 9.5 years) and their parents participated in this program. Eight consecutive camps were held at two-week intervals, from Jun 2007 to Oct 2007 in an adolescent training center located at Chungtaesan, in Korea. Each camp program included social skills training in the classroom and outdoor activities in the forest for children, as well as parent training for mothers. In addition, after the sixth camp, we conducted one parental session for fathers and a three-day booster family camp three months later. Finally, eleven families adhered to the program. RESULTS: All children, parents, and therapists rated questionnaires or checklists at baseline, intra-, and post-treatment. Parenting burden rated using the Parenting Stress Index showed a significant decrease, from 57.89 to 46.22 (p=.019). And, overprotection rated using the Parenting Bonding Instrument showed a significant decrease, from 16.56 to 12.44 (p=.046). However, no significant improvement in children's behavioral and emotional problems was observed. CONCLUSION: In this study, the consecutive ADHD family camp program was effective for empowerment of parental competency, but not for general improvement of children's behavioral and emotional symptoms.
Adolescent ; Checklist ; Child ; Fathers ; Humans ; Korea ; Mothers ; Parenting ; Parents ; Power (Psychology) ; Social Adjustment ; Surveys and Questionnaires

No abstract available.

Three cases of giant pituitray adenoma are reported. Two cases were operated by transsphenoidal approach and a case by transcranial approach. Transsphenoidal approach showed satisfactory results despite of marked suprasellar extension of tumors. We report rare giant pituitary adenomas with review of relevant literatures.
Adenoma ; Pituitary Neoplasms*

No abstract available.
Infant, Newborn ; Meconium Aspiration Syndrome* ; Meconium* ; Mortality ; Suction*

PURPOSE:Ghrelin is an endogenous ligand of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, and stomach is the major site of ghrelin secretion. The purpose of this study is to compare the serum ghrelin concentrations between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and normal adults. We studied also whether serum ghrelin levels in the patients with type 2 DM are correlated with body mass index (BMI), serum insulin, lipid profiles, and creatinine levels. METHODS:Forty patients with type 2 DM and forty normal adults were included in this study. We measured heights and weights of the subjects and calculated their BMIs. Blood samples were obtained to measure the ghrelin concentration and their sera were stored at -20degreeC until used. In all subjects, serum ghrelin levels were measured using the commercially available Ghrelin(human) EIA kit. RESULTS:No differences of mean values were detected between the control group and the type 2 diabetic group for age, body weight, BMI, and the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL cholesterol, and creatinine. But ghrelin level of the type 2 diabetic group (71.1+/-30.5 ng/L) was significantly lower than the control group (139.7+/-36.9 ng/L). In the control group, the ghrelin level showed positive correlation with HDL cholesterol (Pearson's correlation coefficient=0.37, P<0.05). In the diabetic group, the ghrelin level showed weakly positive correlation with insulin concentration. However, there was no significant relationship between serum ghrelin and various parameters in the diabetic patients group. CONCLUSION: In this study, ghrelin concentration in type 2 diabetic patients was lower than that in the control group. In the control group, serum ghrelin concentrations were positively correlated with HDL cholesterol. In the type 2 diabetic group, there was no significant correlation between insulin and ghrelin concentrations.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* ; Ghrelin* ; Humans ; Insulin ; Receptors, Ghrelin ; Stomach ; Triglycerides ; Weights and Measures

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Tubal*

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Tubal*