Venous hemangioma is a vascular tumor that has been reported by such diverse names as; "cirsoid aneurysm", "arteriovenous hemangioma", "acral arteriovenous tumor" according to the author's opinions of its origin and histopathologic classification. It is benign and rarely biopsied, and it is also rarely reported in dermatology literature. We present two cases of venous hemangioma. The first case was a 64-year-old man who was presented with an elliptical dark-red plaque with overlying several grouped papules on the left periorbital area which had been present for 7 years. The second case was a 56-year-old man who was presented with a single red papule on the right postauricular area which had been present for 4 months. Histopathologically, there were a well-circumscribed proliferation of thick-walled muscle-containing blood vessels in the dermis. Intermingled with the thick-walled blood vessels, there were also thin-walled dilated blood vessels. In both cases, the thick-walled blood vessels resembled arteries, but they lacked elastic fibers on the Verhoeff van Gieson stain.
Arteries ; Blood Vessels ; Classification ; Dermatology ; Dermis ; Elastic Tissue ; Hemangioma* ; Humans ; Middle Aged

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV) inhibitors are used clinically to reduce high blood glucose levels as an antidiabetic agent. However, the effect of the DPP-IV inhibitor gemigliptin on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced myocardial injury and hypertension is unknown. In this study, we assessed the effects and mechanisms of gemigliptin in rat models of myocardial I/R injury and spontaneous hypertension. Gemigliptin (20 and 100 mg/kg/d) or vehicle was administered intragastrically to Sprague-Dawley rats for 4 weeks before induction of I/R injury. Gemigliptin exerted a preventive effect on I/R injury by improving hemodynamic function and reducing infarct size compared to the vehicle control group. Moreover, administration of gemigliptin (0.03% and 0.15%) powder in food for 4 weeks reversed hypertrophy and improved diastolic function in spontaneously hypertensive rats. We report here a novel effect of the gemigliptin on I/R injury and hypertension.
Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Hemodynamics ; Hypertension ; Hypertrophy ; Models, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Dipeptidyl peptidase4 (DPP4) inhibitors such as gemigliptin are anti-diabetic drugs elevating plasma concentration of incretins such as GLP-1. In addition to the DPP4 inhibition, gemigliptin might directly improve the functions of vessels under pathological conditions. To test this hypothesis, we investigated whether the acetylcholine-induced endothelium dependent relaxation (ACh-EDR) of mesenteric arteries (MA) are altered by gemigliptin pretreatment in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats (SHR) and in Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) under hyperglycemia-like conditions (HG; 2 hr incubation with 50 mM glucose). ACh-EDR of WKY was reduced by the HG condition, which was significantly recovered by 1 µM gemigliptin while not by saxagliptin and sitagliptin up to 10 µM. The ACh-EDR of SHR MA was also improved by 1 µM gemigliptin while similar recovery was observed with higher concentration (10 µM) of saxagliptin and sitagliptin. The facilitation of ACh-EDR by gemigliptin in SHR was not observed under pretreatment with NOS inhibitor, L-NAME. In the endotheliumdenuded MA of SHR, sodium nitroprusside induced dose-dependent relaxation was not affected by gemigliptin. The ACh-EDR in WKY was decreased by treatment with 30 µM pyrogallol, a superoxide generator, which was not prevented by gemigliptin. Exendin-4, a GLP-1 analogue, could not enhance the ACh-EDR in SHR MA. The present results of ex vivo study suggest that gemigliptin enhances the NOS-mediated EDR of the HG-treated MA as well as the MA from SHR via GLP-1 receptor independent mechanism.
Animals ; Endothelium ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 ; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor ; Hyperglycemia ; Hypertension ; Incretins ; Mesenteric Arteries* ; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester ; Nitroprusside ; Plasma ; Pyrogallol ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred SHR* ; Relaxation ; Sitagliptin Phosphate ; Superoxides ; Vasodilation*

Emphysematous prostatitis is a rare condition that is characterized by gas and abscess accumulation in the prostate. This uncommon but serious disease requires special attention because of its nonspecific presentation such as dysuria, frequency, urgency, fever, acute urinary retension and/or perineal pain. We report here on a case of emphysematous prostatitis that was combined with a liver abscess caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. A 55-year-old man was admitted due to a 3-day history of urinary retention with a febrile sensation. He had histories of liver cirrhosis and uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. After blood and urine cultures, levofloxacin 500 mg was started intravenously. On the third hospital day, he displayed septic shock. The kidneys-ureters bladder (KUB) X-ray showed pockets of air-accumulation in the lower pelvic cavity, and abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) with contrast enhancement taken on the third day showed a 5-cm liver abscess with an emphysematous prostate. Intravenous antibiotics was changed to metronidazole 500 mg q.i.d. and cefotaxime 2 g t.i.d. On the sixth day, transurethral resection and drainage were performed under spinal anesthesia. However, the postoperative bleeding continued and hypovolemic shock persisted, which then provoked multiorgan failure. The patient died on the 11th hospital day. K. pneumoniae was cultured from the liver abscess aspirate, blood and prostatic tissue, and the bacteria were sensitive to both levofloxacin and cefotaxime. Emphysematous prostatitis is a difficult to diagnose because of its rarity and nonspecific symptoms. A delayed diagnosis can cause high mortality and morbidity, so making a prompt clinical diagnosis of this condition is essential. Appropriate antibiotics with early adequate incision and drainage are also needed.
Abscess ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Cefotaxime ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Drainage ; Dysuria ; Fever ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Klebsiella ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; Liver ; Liver Abscess ; Liver Cirrhosis ; Metronidazole ; Middle Aged ; Ofloxacin ; Pneumonia ; Prostate ; Prostatitis ; Sensation ; Shock ; Shock, Septic ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Retention

The dried roots of Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) and Sanchi (Panax notoginseng) have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation as well as various other bodily functions. Here we investigated the effects of a mixture of aqueous extracts of Danshen and Sanchi, named PASEL, on blood pressure and vascular contractility in rats. Orally administered PASEL (62.5 mg/kg and 250 mg/kg, for 5 weeks) lowered the blood pressure of spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) but this was not observed in normal Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKR). We then investigated the effects of PASEL on the arterial contraction of the small branches of cerebral arteries (CAs) and large conduit femoral arteries (FAs) in rats. PASEL did not affect high-K (KCl 60 mM)- or phenyleprine (PhE)-induced contracture of FAs. The myogenic response, a reactive arterial constriction in response to increased luminal pressure, of small CA was dose-dependently suppressed by PASEL in SHR as well as control rats. Interestingly, the KCl-induced contraction of small CAs was slowly reversed by PASEL, and this effect was more prominent in SHR than control WKR. PASEL did not inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity. These results demonstrated that the antihypertensive effect of PASEL might be primarily mediated by altering the arterial MR, not by direct inhibition of L-type Ca2+ channels or by ACE inhibition.
Animals ; Blood Circulation ; Blood Pressure ; Cerebral Arteries ; Constriction ; Contracts ; Contracture ; Femoral Artery ; Hypertension ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Panax ; Panax notoginseng ; Phenobarbital ; Rats ; Salvia ; Salvia miltiorrhiza

A fibrovascular polyp is a rare benign disease of the upper digestive tract and is usually located in the esophagus. To our knowledge, this is the first case of gastric fibrovascular polyp presenting with melena reported in the English literature. The polyp was well visualized on endoscopy and removed with laparoscopic wedge resection. Histology confirmed fibrovascular polyp of the stomach.
Endoscopy ; Esophagus ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Melena ; Polyps ; Stomach

No abstract available.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1) on astrocytes prevents ongoing degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons in MPP⁺-lesioned rats via ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF). The present study determined whether such a beneficial effect of astrocytic TRPV1 could be achieved after completion of injury of DA neurons, rather than ongoing injury, which seems more relevant to therapeutics. To test this, the MPP⁺-lesioned rat model utilized here exhibited approximately 70~80% degeneration of nigrostriatal DA neurons that was completed at 2 weeks post medial forebrain bundle injection of MPP⁺. TRPV1 agonist, capsaicin (CAP), was intraperitoneally administered. CNTF receptor alpha neutralizing antibody (CNTFRαNAb) was nigral injected to evaluate the role of CNTF endogenously produced by astrocyte through TRPV1 activation on DA neurons. Delayed treatment of CAP produced a significant reduction in amphetamine-induced rotational asymmetry. Accompanying this behavioral recovery, CAP treatment increased CNTF levels and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), and levels of DA and its metabolites in the striatum compared to controls. Interestingly, behavioral recovery and increases in biochemical indices were not reflected in trophic changes of the DA system. Instead, behavioral recovery was temporal and dependent on the continuous presence of CAP treatment. The results suggest that delayed treatment of CAP increases nigral TH enzyme activity and striatal levels of DA and its metabolites by CNTF endogenously derived from CAP-activated astrocytes through TRPV1, leading to functional recovery. Consequently, these findings may be useful in the treatment of DA imbalances associated with Parkinson's disease.
Animals ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Astrocytes ; Capsaicin ; Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor ; Dopamine ; Dopaminergic Neurons ; Medial Forebrain Bundle ; Models, Animal ; Neurons ; Parkinson Disease ; Pars Compacta ; Rats ; Receptor, Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor ; Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase

We performed a point seroprevalence survey of measles among healthcare workers (HCWs) at two Korean teaching hospitals in 2019. A total of 2,830 HCWs underwent an antibody test.The overall seropositivity of measles was 93.1%. The seroprevalence of measles was lowest in HCWs aged 20 - 24 years (81.2%), followed by those aged 25 - 29 years (90.1%). The rates of anti-measles IgG positivity were significantly different between the two hospitals (97.0% vs.89.4%, P <0.001). These results suggest that the seropositivity of measles in HCWs may differ depending on the hospital's vaccination policy.

Genistein, a soybean-originated isoflavone, is widely consumed by humans for putative beneficial health effects but its estrogenic activity may affect adversely the development of male reproductive system. Five-week-old ICR mice were purchased and fed with a soybean-based Purina Chow diet until 6 months of age. The animals were exposed by gavage to genistein (2.5 mg/kg/day) or 17beta-estradiol (7.5 microgram/kg/day) for five weeks. Corn oil was used for the negative control. The animals were fed the caseinbased AIN-76A diet throughout the experimental periods. There were no significant differences in body and organ weights of mice among experimental groups. No significant differences in sperm counts and sperm motile characteristics were found between the control and the genistein groups. Treatment of 17beta-estradiol caused a significant decrease in epididymal sperm counts compared to the control (p<0.05). The level of phospholipid hydroxide glutathione peroxidase in the epididymis of mice exposed to genistein was significantly higher than that of the control mice (p<0.05). 17beta-estradiol treatment caused a reduction of germ cells in the testis and hyperplasia of mucosal fold region in the prostate of mice. Genistein treatment did not cause any lesion in the testis, epididymis, and prostate. These results suggest that dietary uptake of genistein at adult stage of life may not affect male reproductive system and functions.
Animals ; Estradiol/metabolism ; Estrogens, Non-Steroidal/*pharmacology ; Genistein/*pharmacology ; Genitalia, Male/*drug effects/pathology ; Glutathione Peroxidase/genetics/metabolism ; Histocytochemistry/veterinary ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Organ Size/drug effects/physiology ; Prostate/drug effects/pathology ; RNA/chemistry/genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; *Soybeans ; Sperm Count/veterinary ; Sperm Motility/drug effects/physiology