PURPOSE: To evaluate the anatomic and functional change in acutely obstructed kidneys, and the probability of functional recovery after resolving the obstruciton. MATERIALS AND METHODS: There were 5 animal groups(6 rabbits in each group)-normal control group, 4 acute ureteral obstruction group. Each of the latter group was imaged with Gd-DTPA enhanced dynamic MR 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours after ligation of the left proximal urter, respectively. We compared the findings of dynamic MR imaging and histopathological findings. RESULTS: We could observe centripetal movement of dark band pattern which could be defined as 3 phasesrenal cortex, outer medulla, and inner medulla in normal rabbits. The appearance of the dark band pattern was delayed or absent in ureteral obstruction group with a linear relationship to the duration of the obstruction. CONCLUSION: Gd-DTPA enhanced MR can be used to differentiate acute obstructive nephropathy from other causes of nephropathy and foretell the prognosis of the obstruction.
Animals ; Gadolinium DTPA* ; Kidney ; Ligation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Prognosis ; Rabbits* ; Ureter* ; Ureteral Obstruction*

No abstract available.
Alcoholism* ; Primary Health Care*

No abstract available.
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens* ; Humans ; Prevalence*

No abstract available.
Fingers*

No abstract available.
Female* ; Humans ; Prune Belly Syndrome*

The authors underwent the serum lipid study, involving the lipoprotein fraction, and the HDL-cholesterol mean values in normal Korean adults visited to Hanyang University Hospital, and also compared with the previously reported serum lipid studies. The results are as follows; 1) The mean values of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and phospholipid were 103.3+/-17.1mg%, 188.9+/-18.2mg%, and 196.7+/-19.8mg%, respectively. 2) Compared with the past 7 years triglyceride showed increasing tendency with significance, and cholesterol and phospholipid showed slightly increasing tendency. 3) In the serum lipoprotein fraction, the mean values of alpha-lipoprotein, pre-beta-lipoprotein, and beta-lipoprotein were 37.2+/-5.9%, 16.0+/-4.2%, and 48.6+/-5.2%, respectively. 4) Compared with the past 10 years, the alpha-, and pre-beta-lipoprotein showed increasing tendency, meanwhile, beta-lipoprotein revealed decreasing tendency. 5) The mean value of HDL-cholesterol was 52.3+/-14.6mg%, and the ratio of HDL-cholesterol to total cholesterol(HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol) was 28.2+/-7.9. 6) Compared with the past 2 years, HDL-cholesterol level showed slightly increasing tendency.
Adult ; Cholesterol ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Aged* ; Humans

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The study was designed to investigate the changes in the expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) according to time after being exposed to noise trauma and find out the effect of HIF-1 alpha in the prevention of noiseinduced hearing loss by pre-treatment with cobalt chloride (CoCl2). SUBJECTS AND METHOD: BALB/c hybrid mice with 25 dB HL or less ABR were used in this study. In the study group, subjects were exposed to 120 dB SPL broad white band noise for 3 hours per day for 3 days. The changes in their hearing were documented before and after 1, 2, 3, 4, and 9 days of the first noise exposure. CoCl2 was injected into the peritoneum 2 hours prior to each noise exposure to see the effect of induced HIF-1alpha on noise-induced hearing loss. For the control, injection with distilled water was performed and hearing thresholds were measured in the same manner. Cochlea from each group was obtained in order to observe the morphological changes in the inner ear and the expression of the HIF-1alpha using immunohistochemial staining and immuno-fluorescein staining along with quantification of the hair cell loss. RESULTS: Mice exposed to the noise for 3 days, showed permanent threshold shift and the expression of HIF-1alpha was increased. When HIF-1alpha was induced by pre-treatment of CoCl2 prior to the noise exposure, however, hearing recovery was observed to some degree. And hair cell survival rate was also higher when treated with CoCl2 compared to the distilled water treated group. CONCLUSION: When pre-treated with CoCl2, inducing HIF-1alpha before the noise trauma, it allowed for a less stereocilia loss in the hair cells in the organ of Corti. HIF-1alpha may play an important role in the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss.
Animals ; Anoxia ; Cell Survival ; Cobalt ; Cochlea ; Ear, Inner ; Hair ; Hearing ; Hearing Loss ; Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced* ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 ; Mice ; Noise ; Organ of Corti ; Peritoneum ; Stereocilia ; Water

OBJECTIVE: Pathogenesis of the endometriosis is very complex and the etiology is still unclear. Our hypothesis is that there may be some difference in gene expression patterns between eutopic endometriums with or without endometriosis. In this study, we analyzed the difference of gene expression profile with cDNA microarray. METHODS: Endometrial tissues were gathered from patients with endometriosis or other benign gynecologic diseases. cDNA microarray technique was applied to screen the different gene expression profiles from early and late secretory phase endometria of those two groups. Each three mRNA samples isolated from early and late secretory phase of endometrial tissues of control were pooled and used as master controls and labeled with Cy3-dUTP. Then the differences of gene expression pattern were screened by comparing eutopic endometria with endometriosis, which were labeled with Cy5-dUTP. Fluorescent labeled probes were hybridized on a microarray of 4,800 human genes. RESULTS: Twelve genes were consistently overexpressed in the endometrium of endometriosis such as ATP synthase H transporting F1 (ATP5B), eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (NADP+), mitochondrial ribosomal protein L3, ATP synthase H+ transporting (ATP5C1) and TNF alpha factor. Eleven genes were consistently down-regulated in the endometriosis samples. Many extracellular matrix protein genes (decorin, lumican, EGF-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1, fibulin 5, and matrix Gla protein) and protease/protease inhibitors (serine proteinase inhibitor, matrix metalloproteinase 2, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1), and insulin like growth factor II associated protein were included. Expression patterns of selected eight genes from the cDNA microarray were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR or real time RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: The result of this analysis supports the hypothesis that the endometrium from patients with endometriosis has distinct gene expression profile from control endometrium without endometriosis.
Adenosine Triphosphate ; Endometriosis* ; Endometrium* ; Extracellular Matrix ; Female ; Gene Expression* ; Genital Diseases, Female ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II ; Isocitrate Dehydrogenase ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Peptide Elongation Factor 1 ; Ribosomal Proteins ; RNA, Messenger ; Transcriptome*

To evaluate the role of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) as a virulence factor, the interaction of V. vulnificus with mouse peritoneal macrophages and serum, which are involved in the clearance of bacteria from blood and other tissues, were examined. In this study, MO6-24/0 (wild strain; hemolysin- and capsule-positive), MO6-24/I' (acapsular spontaneous mutant), CVD 752 (acapsular transposon mutant), and CVD 707 (hemolysin-negative and capsule-positive mutant) were used. The strain with CPS (MO6-24/0 and CVD 707) were more resistant to phagocytosis by mouse peritoneal macrophages compared with acapsular strains (MO6-24/T and CVD 752), and the resistance to phagocytosis was not changed by serum opsonin in the capsular strains. Acapsular strains were more susceptible to serum bactericidal activity than the capsular strains through the classical complement pathway. MO6-24/0 strain were detected in blood, spleen, liver and lung at 4 hours after intraperitoneally infection, whereas CVD 752 were not detected. All tested strains could induced the transcription of inflammatory cytokine gene such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-u, and their inductions were not decreased by cytochalasin B treatment. This results demonstrate that CPS of V. vulnificus plays an important role in V. vulnificus infection through interfering nonspecific host defense system such as blood clearance and phagocytosis.
Animals ; Bacteria ; Complement Pathway, Classical ; Cytochalasin B ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-6 ; Liver ; Lung ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Mice ; Phagocytosis ; Spleen ; Vibrio vulnificus* ; Vibrio* ; Virulence*