BACKGROUND: The action of the volatile anesthetics on various organs in the body is not well known. Since Furchgott (1980) discovered endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF) from endothelium, many studies have been tried. Many investigators were studied about the relationship between the EDRF and the effect of the volatile anesthetics on blood vessels too. But the effect of volatile anesthetics and the site of action on the blood vessel were still controversial. In this study, we evaluated that the effect and the action site of halothane and isoflurane on isolated aortic rings of the rabbit. METHODS: Each of obtained thoracic aorta from rabbits (1.5~2.5 Kg) was divided into 3~5 mm sized rings, and a half of that were denuded. All of the aortic rings were preconstricted with phenylephrine 1.5 10-7 Mole in warm organ bath filled with modified Krebs' solution, and then LNAME (inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, 3 10-4Mole) was administered to one group of aortic rings. MB (inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase, 2 10-5Mole) was administered to another one group and neither of LNAME nor MB was administered to the other group. And then isoflurane or halothane was administered (1~4%) to all of aortic rings. The polygraph recorded the changes of tension of aortic ring which was transmitted through the force transducer. RESULTS: It was proved that basal EDRF was released from endothelium by the fact that intact aortic rings were more constricted after LNAME or MB administration. The intact aortic rings were constricted in all concentration of isoflurane and both intact and denuded rings were relaxed in 4% concentration of halothane. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that isoflurane in all concentrations has an endothelium -mediated vasoconstriction and 4% halothane produced vascular relaxation directly independent of existence of the endothelium of vessel.
Anesthetics ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Arginine* ; Baths ; Blood Vessels ; Endothelium ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Halothane* ; Humans ; Isoflurane* ; Methylene Blue ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Phenylephrine ; Rabbits ; Relaxation ; Research Personnel ; Transducers ; Vasoconstriction

BACKGROUND: Desflurane is a new inhaled anesthetic with the lowest blood/gas partition coefficient and enflurane is one of the major anesthetics in these days. But the effect of volatile anesthetics and the site of action on the blood vessel are still controversial. Since Furchgott (1980) discovered endothelium derived relaxing factor (EDRF) from endothelium, many investigators have studied about the relationship between the EDRF and the effect of the volatile anesthetics on blood vessels. In this study, we evaluated that the effect and the action site of enflurane and desflurane on isolated aortic rings of the rabbit. METHODS: Each of obtained thoracic aorta from rabbits (1.5~2.5 kg) was divided into 4~6 mm rings, and a half of that were denuded. All of the aortic rings were preconstricted with phenylephrine 1.5 10-7 Mole in warm organ bath filled with modified Krebs' solution, and then LNAME (inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, 3 10-4Mole) was administered to one group of aortic rings. MB (inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase, 2 10-5Mole) was administered to another one group and neither of LNAME nor MB was administered to the other group. And then enflurane (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%) or desflurane (6%, 9%, 12%) was administered to all of aortic rings. The polygraph recorded the changes of tension of aortic ring which was transmitted through the force transducer. RESULTS: It was proved that basal EDRF was released from endothelium by the fact that intact aortic rings were more constricted after LNAME or MB administration. The intact aortic rings were constricted in all concentration of enflurane and both intact and denuded rings were maintained from control tension in all concentrations of desflurane. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that enflurane in all concentrations has an endothelium-mediated vasoconstriction effect and desflurane in all concentrations has no effect on isolated aortic rings of rabbit.
Anesthetics ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Arginine* ; Baths ; Blood Vessels ; Endothelium ; Endothelium-Dependent Relaxing Factors ; Enflurane* ; Guanylate Cyclase ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Phenylephrine ; Rabbits ; Research Personnel ; Transducers ; Vasoconstriction

BACKGROUND: Chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus(CCLE) is a well-known disease entity. But there has been no data about its clinical behavior and histopathologic features in Korea. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to elucidate the clinical, laboratory, and histopathologic features of CCLE, and the relationship between CCLE and SLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated 48 cases of CCLE that visited the department of dermatology at the Seoul National University Hospital from January 1990 to June 1997. Medical records and biopsy slides were reviewed.
Biopsy ; Dermatology ; Korea ; Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous* ; Medical Records ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Congenital hypotrichosis is a non-specific, descriptive term for structural abnormalities of hairs showing variable clinical features. We recently have encountered a group of eleven patients exhibiting abnormal hairs showing similar patterns. OBJECTIVES: Our purpose was to clarify the entity of this structural hair disorder. METHODS: Dermatologic examination with routine histopathology, trichograms along with scanning electron-microscopic examination and laboratory studies were undertaken. RESULTS: All cases except one were female, and hair abnormalities had developed at birth or within a year. Diffuse distribution of thin, sparse, soft and hypopigmented hairs were noticed. On hair mounts, four patients showed tapering of roots. The majority of the patients exhibited cuticular changes, as well as pitting and longitudinal axial twisting by scanning electron-microscopic examination; one case demonstrated trichorrhexis nodosa, and another, trans-verse fracture. CONCLUSION: Although our cases bear some similar points with woolly hair, some differences were noted between this type of congenital hypotrichosis and other previously described syndromes.
Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Hypotrichosis* ; Parturition

Temporal lobe epilepsy is characterized by complex partial seizures with either primary intracranial neoplasms or other non-neoplastic lesions. We reviewed 64 cases of surgically resected temporal lobes and amygdalo-hippocampal regions for temporal lobe epilepsy ansed by non-neoplastic lesions to elucidate the incidence and histologic features of each histologic group for a period of 2 years. The patient's age ranged from 12 to 49 years and the ratio of male to female was 42:22. There were 37 cases(57.8%) with single pathology and an additional 20 cases(31.3%) with dual pathology. The emaining 7 cases(10.9%) had no structural alternations. The most common temporal lobe pathology was hippocampal sclerosis in 41 cases(64.1%), diagnosed alone in 21 cases and as dual lesions in 20 cases. The hippocampal neuron loss was most pro,omemt in CA1, followed by CA4, CA3, and CA2. Amygdaloid sclerosis was present in 28 cases(43.8%), lases had 13 dual lesions, 25 cases also had hippocampal sclerosis. The 20 dual lesions showed that 6 cortical dysplasia, 10 microdysgenesis, 1 chronic non-specific inflammatory lesion, and 3 cysticercosis were associated with the various degree of mesial temporal sclerosis. Neuronoglial malformative lesions were identified in 21 cases(32.8%) including 16 dual lesion cases, which composed of 15 microdysgenesis and 6 cortical dysplasia. Neurofilament immunostain for cortical dysplasia revealed abnormally beaded disarray of axons in dysplastic pyramidal cells. The remaining pathologic lesions observed were 1 cysticercosis, 1 chronic non-specific inflammatory lesion, 3 arteriovenous malformation, 2 fibrous nodule, and 1 fibrous adhesions of the arachnoid.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Incidence

BACKGROUND: The classical in vitro method for researching the fibroblast metabolism is a mono layer culture system. But there are a lot of facts that artificial influence of monolayer culture situations do not resemble the in vivo conditions. Recently three-dimensional culture method of fibroblast in collagen gel was developed and in this system fibroblasts seem to behave like in vivo situations. OBJECTIVE: So we examined the effects of ascorbic acid. TGF-beta, and IFN-gamma on fibroblast in collagen gel culture system and then compared these effects with those in monolayer culture system. We also studied the regulatory mechanism of collagen gene by ascorbic acid, TFG-beta, and IFN-gamma by Northern blot analysis in monolayer culture system. METHODS: Using fibroblasts of the neonatal foreskin, we measured the collagen synthesis after treatment of ascorbic acid, TGF-b, and IFN-r in three-dimensional culture and monolayer culture system. We aslo checked the change of mRNA of collagen after treatment in monolayer culture. RESULTS: The relative levels of collagenase-digestible protein synthesis in the three-dimensional culture seemed to be lower than those in the monolayer system. However, difference of fold in crease was not statistically significant. The expression of collagen mRNA was increased after treatment of TGF-beta and decreased after IFN-gamma treatment. CONCLUSION: From these results, fibroblasts in the three-dimensional culture system might resemble the in vivo conditions The molecular level of regulation of collagen synthesis by TGF-beta. and IFN-gamma was thought to be transcriptional. The three-dimensional culture system could be a good model of culture system of fibroblast in studying of aging process or the role of cytokine in wound healing.
Aging ; Ascorbic Acid* ; Blotting, Northern ; Collagen* ; Fibroblasts* ; Foreskin ; Humans* ; Metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; Wound Healing

Tinea pedis is frequently found in those people with poor hygine and in hot and humid environments. The authors investigated the clinical, epidemiologicol a id mycological characteristics of tinea pedis in 138 sewerage workers attending a sewerage plant in Seoul. Tinea pedis was found in 82, with a prevalence of 59.4%. The prevalence of tinea pedis increased with age and the period working at sewerage plant, however, there was no statistical significance. Also there was no difference in the prevalence of tinea pedis between the clerical workers and the field workers. Positive rate for KOH smear was 73.2%, and culture positive rates were 42.7%, producing 35 strains of dermatophytes. Twertyeight strains of Trichophyton Rubrum and 7 strains of Trichophyton mentagrophytes were isolated. Twentyseven yeast-form colonies were isolated, and Trichosporon beigelii was foungl in 19 samples. Most of the yeast forms were found mixed with dermatophytes and moulcis, However, 6 were isolated from direct smear positive cases and yieIded pure colonies of yeast. These included 4 cases of T. beigelii, 1 case of Candida parapsilosis, and 1 case of Candida hormicola. In view of the recent report of these fungi as pathogenic organism, these isolates, rspecially T. beigelii, were considered as a causative agent of tinea pedis in certain groups like sewerage workers.
Arthrodermataceae ; Candida ; Fungi ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Plants ; Prevalence ; Seoul ; Tinea Pedis* ; Tinea* ; Trichophyton ; Trichosporon ; Yeasts

The pulmonary microvasculatures of rats were studied by injection replicas prepared from Mercox. This medium enabled us to easily obtain consistent, stable, and complete injected replicas of the pulmonary vasculature. In order to investigate the three dimensional structures of the tributaries of the bronchial artery, such as the capillary plexus and vasa vasorum, we performed a scanning electron microscopic(SEM) study of the vascular casts, using Mercox CL-2B as a media. The alveolar capillaries revealed hexagonal or pentagonal rings of vascular networks. In some areas, the vascular rings composed a square network, The bronchial tree was supplied by the bronchial arteries which form a coarse capillary extending as far as the terminal bronchioles. Occasionally the capillary plexus was connected with adjacent capillary networks in and around the alveolar walls. The walls of the pulmonary artery revealed only a single layer of the vasa vasorum, but those of the pulmonary vein were surrounded by more complicated and well developed vasa vasorum than the pulmonary arterial side. The mean diameters of the venous vasa vasorum are greater than the arterial vasa vasorum.
Rats ; Animals

Bartter's syndrome is a rare tubular disorder characterized by hypokalemic, hypochloremic metabolic alkalosis, hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism, hyporesponsiveness to pressor agents, and juxtaglomerular apparatus hyperplasia. We report here a case of Bartter's syndrome in a 5 month-old male infant who improved with potassium supplements. In addition to a case report, brief review of related literatures was done.
Alkalosis ; Bartter Syndrome* ; Humans ; Hyperaldosteronism ; Hyperplasia ; Infant ; Juxtaglomerular Apparatus ; Male ; Potassium

Anticancer drugs kill tumor cells and increase host anti-tumor immunity. Interestingly, gemcitabin (Gem) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), widely used anticancer drugs, lead to IL-1beta secretion releasing cathepsin B which activates Nlrp3 inflammasome in myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). MDSC derived IL-1beta enhance secretion of IL-17 by CD4+ T cells. This mechanism limits the antitumor efficacy of the drugs and promotes tumor growth.
Cathepsin B ; Cathepsins ; Fluorouracil ; Interleukin-17 ; T-Lymphocytes