The present study was intended to examine the effect of sodium vanadate on contractility of vascular smooth muscle. Aortic ring preparations were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and endothelial cells were removed from the ring. The contractility of the aortic ring was measured under various conditions. The results were summarized as follows; 1) Sodium vanadate induced contraction of vascular smooth muscle in a dose-dependent fashion. 2) The contractile effects were not blocked by treatments with adrenergic blocking agent(phentolamine) and indomethacin, indicating the direct action of the drug on vascular smooth muscle. 3) In the presence of ouabain, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase inhibitor, sodium vanadate still increased the contractility of vascular smooth muscle. 4) Treatment with 4.4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2.2'-disulfonic acid(DIDS) blocked completely the contractile effects of sodium vanadate. 5) In the presence of verapamil, lanthanum and ryanodine, the contractility of the vascular smooth muscle by sodium vanadate was decreased. From the above results. it was suggested that sodium vanadate acts directly on vascular smooth muscle and causes contraction. It was probably due to inhibition of Ca(++)-ATPase in plasma membrane as well as increasing the release of Ca(++) from sarcoplasmic reticulum and Ca(++) influx across the plasma membrane, but not inhibition of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Cell Membrane ; Endothelial Cells ; Indomethacin ; Lanthanum ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Ouabain ; Ryanodine ; Sarcoplasmic Reticulum ; Sodium* ; Vanadates* ; Verapamil

Caffeine has been known to induce the contraction of rabbit aortic ring resulting from Ca2+ release from the intracellular stores. But in contrast, contraction of aortic ring induced by depolarizing agents or agonist was reported to be suppressed by caffeine. The present study was intended to examine the effect of caffeine on Ca2+ movement across the plasma membrane and actomyosin ATPase activity of vascular smooth muscle to elucidate the modes of action of caffeine on the vascular smooth muscle. Aortic ring preparation were made from the rabbit thoracic aorta and the endothelial cells were removed from the ring by gentle rubbing. The contractilty of the aortic ring was measured under varying conditions, and Ca2+ influx across the membranes of the aortic ring was measured with Ca2+ sensitive electrode with and without caffeine and the effect of caffeine on actomyosin ATPase activity were measured by modified Hartshrone's method. 45Ca wash out curves with and without caffeine were studied by Richard's method. The results were summarized as follows: 1) Caffeine inhibited the contractilty induced by norepinephrine. high K+, and histamine. but caffeine alone induced a transient contraction of vascular smooth muscle. The caffeine induced contraction was demonstrable even in the absence of external Ca2+. 2) Caffeine increased 45Ca efflux from vascular smooth muscle. 3) In the presence of propranolol, the inhibitory effect of caffeine on epinephrine induced contraction still persisted. 4) Caffeine decreased norepinephrine induced Ca2+ influx through the plasma membranes of aortic ring. 5) Caffeine decreased the actomyosin ATPase activity of vascular smooth muscle. From the above results, it is suggested that caffeine induces the contraction of vascular smooth muscle by release of Ca2+ from intracellular Ca2+ stone, but inhibits drug-induced contraction by decrease of Ca2+ influx across the plasma membranes and a decreased Ca2+ sensitivity of contractile protein in vascular smooth muscle.
Actomyosin* ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Caffeine* ; Cell Membrane ; Electrodes ; Endothelial Cells ; Epinephrine ; Histamine ; Membranes ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Myosins* ; Norepinephrine ; Propranolol

Bony defect is one of the most common problems in craniomaxillofacial surgery. Although aurogenous bone graft is the best choice for the treatment of bone defect, it provides many problems such as donor site morbidity, irregular absorption, and limited amount of harvest. To overcome the shortcomings of autogenous bone graft many bone substitutes have been introduced. The ideal bone substitution is to have characteristics such as cheap, easy to obtain, rapid fusion to recipient bone, hard structure, long maintenance of shape and volume, low infection rate, and low exposure rate. Among those bone substitutes which have been widely used we chose lyophilized cartilage allograft because of low antigenecity, low resorption rate, easiness of carving and ling term preservation. From August 1993 to August 1997, 66 patients had been performed craniomaxillofacial reconstruction with lyophilized cartilage allograft. Orbital wall reconstruction and correction of enophthalmos were 24, correction of cleft lip and nose deformity were 19, temporal augmentations were 7, and others 16. Complications such as infection, exposure were not common. And partially removed cartilage was proved some calcification. Radiologic follow-up presented well positioned lyophilized cartilage allograft. Two radiologic works revealed haziness of bone density at the site of cartilage allograft. This suggests the ossification of lyophilized cartilage allograft. Together with liw infection rate, low exposure rate, and good framework for osteoconduction, lyophilized cartilage allograft are regarded as one of the good bone substitutes.
Absorption ; Allografts* ; Bone Density ; Bone Regeneration ; Bone Substitutes ; Cartilage* ; Cleft Lip ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Enophthalmos ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Nose ; Orbit ; Tissue Donors ; Transplants

As gastroduodenoscopy performed more frequently, case reports of human echinostomiasis are increasing in Korea. A Korean woman presented at a local clinic with complaints of abdominal pain and discomfort that had persisted for 2 weeks. Under gastroduodenoscopy, two motile flukes were found attached on the duodenal bulb, and retrieved with endoscopic forceps. She had history of eating raw frog meat. The two flukes were identified as Echinostoma hortense by egg morphology, 27 collar spines with 4 end-group spines, and surface ultrastructural characters. This report may prove frogs to be a source of human echinostome infections.
Animals ; Duodenal Diseases/*parasitology ; Duodenum/*parasitology ; Echinostoma/*isolation & purification ; Echinostomiasis/*diagnosis ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Middle Aged

Human untreated costal cartilage was compared with lyophilized human costal cartilage which was treated with defatting solution for 48 hours and freeze drying for 72 hours (-70degree C, 10??bar) on the tendency of distortion. All cartilages, which were taken from six cadavers, were carved 5x5x30mm in size on principle of the balanced cross section. Their distortions were evaluated by two methods at intervals of one week, one month, three months, six months after experiment. At first, the degree of distortion was grossly graded with four steps: grade O; no distortion / grade I; minimal distortion / grade II; moderate distortion / grade III; severe distortion. Second method is measurement and quantification of distortion in the horizontal and vertical plane of cartilage.Untreated cartilage is shown to be an unsatisfactory material, with only three(12%) of the 25 cartilages being cosmetically acceptable(grade 0 and 1) after 6 months. In lyophilized cartilage, 18(94%) of the 19 cartilages were cosmetically acceptable(grade 0 and 1) at 6 months. This figure is highly significant(p<0.01). In another method, distortion in the horizontal(h) and vertical (v) planes of cartilage were measured, and mean values of ???? were calculated. In untreated group, the mean values of ???? were 0.82 at 1 week, 0.91 at 1 month, 1.13 at 3 months, and 1.31 at 6 months. In lyophilized group, the mean values were 0.27 at 1 week, 0.29 at 1 month, 0.40 at 3 months and 0.47 at 6 months. All values were statistically significant(p<0.01).
Cadaver ; Cartilage* ; Freeze Drying ; Humans

Twenty four cases of acromioclavicular seperation were admitted and treated at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University from October 1964 to September 1975. Of these, six cases were subluxations and eighteen cases were dislocations. Acromioclavicular joint injury is relatively rare and there are many methods of treatment. In our cases, all the six subluxations and seven of the eighteen dislocations were treated by conservative method, while eleven of the eighteen dislocations were treated by operative method. The results of all the subluxated cases were satisfactory. In cases of dislocation, the results were considerably better in operated cases with Weavers method.
Acromioclavicular Joint ; Dislocations ; Methods

Sleeve type fracture of the patella in children is an extremely rare injury. Its avulsed fragment is so small that the diagnosis may be missed by radiogram and patella slta is complicated. A 14 year-old boy having the sleeve type fracture of the patella with patella alta was treated by open reduction with s screw fixation at St. Vincent Hospital in December 1985 and was followed up over two years. The final clinical result was good.
Child ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Patella

A 16 month old male infant was found with slip down state in a bath room without evidence of trauma to whole body. The infant was treated with several thoracentesis & closed drainage due to persistent right pleural effusion at other hospital and transferred to our hospital for further evaluation and treatment at July 2003. The pleural effusion was confirmed as chylothorax by chemical analysis. He was treated with parenteral feeding for 21 days. Because the amount of chest tube drainage was about 110~210 cc/day, and could not be decreased with conservative treatment. patients underwent ligation of thoracic duct. Post-operative course was uneventful except post-op. empyema thoracis, The open drainage tube was removed at post operative 30 days, The patient was in very good condition with complete cure until post-operative 3 months.
Baths ; Chest Tubes ; Chylothorax* ; Drainage ; Empyema ; Humans ; Infant* ; Ligation ; Male ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Pleural Effusion ; Thoracic Duct

Cytosolic Ca2+ concentration of rat ventricular cells was measured under varying experimental conditions by using a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, Fura-2. Resting [Ca2+]i of rat myocyte was 150 +/- 30 nM (n = 39), and this value was compatible with others. The Perfusion of cardioplegic solution significantly increased [Ca2+]i, and this effect was further augmented by hypothermia (p<0.05). Application of nifedipine (5 x 10(-7) M) to the perfusate or pretreatment of caffeine (10 mM) had no apparent effect on this cardioplegia-induced [Ca2+]i change. But Ni2+ (5 mM), an antagonist of Na+/Ca2+ exchange mechanism, prevented the [Ca2+]i change during cardioplegia (p<0.05). Magnitude of cardioplegia-induced [Ca2+]i increase was also dependent on the Ca2+ concentration of cardioplegic solution. These results suggest that Na+/Ca2+ exchange may play an important role in cardioplegia-induced [Ca2+]i change. To rule out the possibility whether the protective effect of hypothermic cardioplegia is due to the preservation of high-energy phosphate store or decreasing the transmembrane ionic fluxes by phase transition, we exhausted a energy store of cardiac cell by application of 2,4 dinitrophenol to the bath and measured its effect on [Ca2+]i change during cardioplegia. Hypothermic cardioplegia delayed the onset of [Ca2+]i increase and decreased its amplitude compared to those of normothermic cardioplegia. From the above results, hypothermic cardioplegia may protect the cardiac cells from ischemic insult by preserving a high-energy phosphate store. Application of Ni2+ to the cardioplegic solution or reduction of external Ca2+ concentration also had some protective effect, since it prevented [Ca2+]i increase during cardioplegia.
Animal ; Calcium/*metabolism ; Cytosol/metabolism ; *Heart Arrest, Induced ; Heart Ventricle/metabolism ; Hypothermia, Induced ; Myocardial Ischemia/metabolism/*prevention & control ; Myocardium/*metabolism ; Rats ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Lobular capillary hemangioma (LCH) in the nasal cavity, previously known as pyogenic granuloma, is an extremely rare benign vascular tumor in infants. LCH is a rapidly growing lesion that has a bleeding tendency due to its excessive vascularity. The authors experienced a case of LCH of the nasal cavity in a 2-month-old infant that was totally resected via the endoscopic approach after preoperative embolization. Therefore, we report this case with a brief review of the literature.
Embolization, Therapeutic ; Granuloma, Pyogenic* ; Hemangioma ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Infant* ; Nasal Cavity ; Nasal Surgical Procedures