The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics or the potassium channels existing in the rat urinary bladders. Smooth muscle strips of rat detrusor urinae were examined by isometric myography. Relaxation responses of detrusor muscle strips to the three potassium channel openers pinacidil, a cyanoguanidine derivative, BRL 38227, a benzopyran derivative and RP 52891, a tertrahydrothiopyran derivative were examined. The potassium channel openers reduced the basal tone, and the rank order of potency was RP 52891>pincidil>BRL 38227. Procaine, an inhibitor of the voltage-sensitive potassium channel tended to increase the basal tone, but it did not affect the relaxant effects of the calcium-activated potassium channel opener did not antagonize the relaxant effects, but it reduced the Emax of RP 52891 and BRL 38227. Glibenclamide, an inhibitor of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel, antagonized the relaxant effects of pinacidil, RP 52891 and BRL 38227 reducing the Emax of RP 52891 and BRl 38227. Galanin which inhibits secretion of insulin through opening the ATP-sensitive potassium channels in pancreatic β-cells rather increased the basal tone of the isolated detrusor strips. These results suggest that the urinary bladder of the rat has mainly the ATP-sensitive, glibenclamide sensitive potassium channel, which is a different type from that in the pancreatic β-islet cells.
Animals ; Cromakalim ; Galanin ; Glyburide ; Insulin ; KATP Channels ; Muscle, Smooth ; Myography ; Pinacidil ; Potassium Channels* ; Potassium Channels, Calcium-Activated ; Potassium* ; Procaine ; Rats* ; Relaxation ; Urinary Bladder

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this clinical study were 1) to assess 5-year survival rates in 195 patients with locally invasive cervical cancer(stage Ia-IIb) treated by surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy+surgery and postoperative radiation in selected cases, 2) to evaluate the prognostic factors affecting the survival rate, and 3) to get helpful information for the better treatment. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 195 patients. They were diagnosed and operated on during the period of Jan. 1988 - Dec. 1993 in Dept. of OB/Gyn, Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje Medical School. The 5-year survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and prognostic factors were assessed using Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rates for FIGO stages Ia, Ib, IIa, and IIb were 100, 86.1, 76.9, and 81.1%, respectively. Factors that affect the 5-year survival rates were clinical stage(P=0.0001), cell type(small cell vs other, P=0.0001), depth of invasion(< or = 5 mm vs >5 mm, P=0.0013), tumor size(< or = 3 cm vs >3cm, P=0.0035), and lymph node metastasis(0 vs 1 vs more than 2, P=0.0001). There was no difference in 5-year survival rates between without neoadjuvant chemotherapy group and with neoadjuvant chemotherapy group which had poor prognostic factors. The predicted recurrence rate of the postoperative radiation group showed a lower 5-year survival rate than the no postoperative radiation group(P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the factors affecting the prognosis were FIGO stage, cell type, depth of invasion, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis, and speculated that the survival rates could be improved by using neoadjuvant chemotherapy for more advanced locally invasive cases properly.
Busan ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Schools, Medical ; Survival Rate ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Schwannomas are benign nerve sheath tumors that can originate at any anatomic sites. These tumors are usually soitary, benign, and slow-growing masses attached to large nerve trunks. These tumors have been described as arising in the pelvic retroperitoneum. We present two cases of pelvic retroperitoneal Schwannomas with a brief review of literatures.
Nerve Sheath Neoplasms ; Neurilemmoma*

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical surgery compared with conventional radical surgery in stage Ib1 cervical cancer as to operative complications, the rate of lymph node metastasis, recurrence and overall five-year survival rates. METHODS: The study materal (98 cases of stage Ib1 cervical cancer) was divided into two groups; The one group was neoadjuvant chemotherapy (Cisplatin + 5-FU) followed by radical surgery (n = 41) and the other was the conventional radical surgery (n = 57) group. Reviewing records of operative and pathological reports and clinical findings, the outcome was statistically analyzed and compared. RESULTS: As to the complication, bladder dysfuntion was more frequent in neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, statistically significant.(43.9% vs 22.8%, P=0.034). No significant difference was found in the incidence of lymphnode metastasis (17% vs 17.5%, P=0.779) and overall five year survial rates(85.3% vs 87.7%, P=0.735). CONCLUSION: No benefical effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy could be found on stage Ib1 cervical cancer in this retrospective study. However, well controlled longterm prospective study will be need to get firm conclusion.
Drug Therapy* ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Urinary Bladder ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is characterized by acute nonfollicular sterile pustules on a background of edematous erythema. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), an antimalarial drug, widely used to treat rheumatic and dermatologic diseases. HCQ has been reported to be an uncommon cause of AGEP. We report a 60-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis requiring the use of HCQ presented fever and erythematous eruption on the trunk with sterile pustules. Leukocytosis and elevated erythrocyte sedimention rate noted on laboratory examination. On the histopathological examination of the skin biopsy specimen showed neutrophilic infiltration and scattered eosinohpils. The lesions were resolved with removal of HCQ. The clinical course was consistent with the diagnosis of AGEP associated with HCQ. We reported a case of typical AGEP associated with HCQ in a patient with Rheumatoid arthritis. The patient presented resolution from cutaneous lesions with withdrawal of culprit drug, without the need of systemic steroid.
Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Biopsy ; Erythema ; Erythrocytes ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Hydroxychloroquine ; Leukocytosis ; Neutrophils ; Skin

Fe65 has been characterized as an adaptor protein, originally identified as an expressed sequence tag (EST) corresponding to an mRNA expressed at high levels in the rat brain. It contains one WW domain and two phosphotyrosine interaction/phosphotyrosine binding domains (PID1/PID2). As the neuronal precursor cell expressed developmentally down regulated 4-2 (Nedd4-2) has a putative WW domain binding motif (72PPLP75) in the N-terminal domain, we hypothesized that Fe65 associates with Nedd4-2 through a WW domain interaction, which has the characteristics of E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. In this paper, we present evidence for the interaction between Fe65 WW domain and Nedd4-2 through its specific motif, using a pull down approach and co-immunoprecipitation. Additionally, the co-localization of Fe65 and Nedd4-2 were observed via confocal microscopy. Co-localization of Fe65 and Nedd4-2 was disrupted by either the mutation of Fe65 WW domain or its putative binding motif of Nedd4-2. When the ubiquitin assay was performed, the interaction of Nedd4-2 (wt) with Fe65 is required for the cell apoptosis and the ubiquitylation of Fe65. We also observed that the ubiquitylation of Fe65 (wt) was augmented depending on Nedd4-2 expression levels, whereas the Fe65 WW domain mutant (W243KP245K) or the Nedd4-2 AL mutant (72PPLP75 was changed to 72APLA75) was under-ubiquitinated significantly. Thus, our observations implicated that the protein-protein interaction between the WW domain of Fe65 and the putative binding motif of Nedd4-2 down-regulates Fe65 protein stability and subcellular localization through its ubiquitylation, to contribute cell apoptosis.
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/chemistry/genetics/*metabolism ; Cell Line ; *Down-Regulation ; Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport/genetics/*metabolism ; *Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Humans ; Immunoprecipitation ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Mutation ; Protein Interaction Mapping ; Protein Structure, Tertiary/*physiology ; Transfection ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics/*metabolism ; Ubiquitination

Osteomesopyknosis is a rare sclerosing bone disorder of autosomal dominant inheritance. We report a first case of osteomesopyknosis in Korea. A 16-year old girl complained of diffuse back pain for 1 year. We performed physical examination, biochemical investigations and imaging studies. A radiograph of spine revealed rugger-jersey vertebra and sandwich vertebra. Bone specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen were normal. Only an axial skeleton involvement was shown on the whole body bone scan. This patient was diagnosed to have osteomesopyknosis. Osteomesopyknosis is characterized by normal level of bone turnover marker and an axial bone involvement. Osteomesopyknosis can be occurred in Korea and needs to be considered when patients, especially young patients, suffer from back pain and have only axial osteosclerosis.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Back Pain ; Bone Diseases ; Collagen Type I ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Osteocalcin ; Osteosclerosis ; Physical Examination ; Skeleton ; Spine ; Wills

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short-term clinical effect of a new spinal decompression device (DRX-3000) combined with transforaminal steroid injection (TFI) in comparison with TFI only in patients with lumbar herniated intervertebral disc (HIVD) METHOD: Fourty-one patients diagnosed as lumbar intervertebral disc herniation were recruited and divided into two therapeutic groups. Eighteen patients were treated with DRX-3000 combined with TFI. Twenty-three patients were treated with only TFI. The visual analogue scale (VAS), straight leg rasing test (SLR), radiating pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), sitting tolerance, standing tolerance and sleeping tolerance were measured before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: VAS, radiating pain, sitting tolerance and ODI were significantly improved after treatment in all patients (p<0.05). SLR and sleeping tolerance were significantly improved in combined treatment group and standing tolerance were significantly improved in TFI group after treatment (p<0.05). After treatment, degree of VAS decrease was larger in combined treatment group than TFI group(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Spinal decompression with TFI was more effective than only TFI in patients with lumbar HIVD in a short period.
Decompression ; Humans ; Injections, Epidural ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Leg ; Low Back Pain

PURPOSE: Intra-abdominal leiomyosarcoma is an uncommon malignant tumor, and its standard treatment is surgical resection. However, there is no generally preferred treatment for its metastatic mass, especially in the liver.METHODS: According to the sarcoma registry, 476 patients were diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma and received treatment in Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. And from 2003 to 2015, surgical resections of liver metastases were performed in 10 patients with leiomyosarcoma. The characteristics and short-term results were documented.RESULTS: Of the 10 patients, the median age was 48 years and the median survival period was 34.2 months. The mean period from primary resection to liver metastasis was 12.9 months. Six patients had a single metastatic mass, and four had multiple nodules. One patient had an additional distant metastasis outside of the liver. Eight patients had a partial hepatectomy, and the others were treated using segmentectomy or lobectomy. Two patients (20%) died during follow-up. Four patients showed metastasis to other organs after surgical resection of the liver.CONCLUSION: Intra-abdominal leiomyosarcoma with liver metastasis is a very rare disease. Long-term survival can be achieved after surgical resection and should be considered for all patients.
Chungcheongnam-do ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Korea ; Leiomyosarcoma ; Liver ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rare Diseases ; Sarcoma ; Seoul

Frailty has been previously studied in Western countries and the urban Korean population; however, the burden of frailty and geriatric conditions in the aging populations of rural Korean communities had not yet been determined. Thus, we established a population-based prospective study of adults aged > or = 65 years residing in rural communities of Korea between October 2014 and December 2014. All participants underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment that encompassed the assessment of cognitive and physical function, depression, nutrition, and body composition using bioimpedance analysis. We determined the prevalence of frailty based on the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) and Korean version of FRAIL (K-FRAIL) criteria, as well as geriatric conditions. We recruited 382 adults (98% of eligible adults; mean age: 74 years; 56% women). Generally, sociodemographic characteristics were similar to those of the general rural Korean population. Common geriatric conditions included instrumental activity of daily living disability (39%), malnutrition risk (38%), cognitive dysfunction (33%), multimorbidity (32%), and sarcopenia (28%), while dismobility (8%), incontinence (8%), and polypharmacy (3%) were less common conditions. While more individuals were classified as frail according to the K-FRAIL criteria (27%) than the CHS criteria (17%), the CHS criteria were more strongly associated with prevalent geriatric conditions. Older Koreans living in rural communities have a significant burden of frailty and geriatric conditions that increase the risk of functional decline, poor quality of life, and mortality. The current study provides a basis to guide public health professionals and policy-makers in prioritizing certain areas of care and designing effective public health interventions to promote healthy aging of this vulnerable population.
Activities of Daily Living ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Aging ; Body Composition ; Cognition Disorders/epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Demography ; Disabled Persons ; Female ; Geriatric Assessment/*statistics & numerical data ; *Health Status ; Humans ; Interviews as Topic ; Male ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Rural Population ; Sarcopenia/epidemiology