No abstract available.
Extracellular Space* ; Ischemia* ; Myocytes, Cardiac*

Extracellular Space ; Histones ; Humans ; Liver Failure

Brain extracellular space (ECS) is a narrow, irregular space, which provides immediate living environment for neural cells and accounts for approximately 15%-20% of the total volume of living brain. Twenty-five years ago, as an interventional radiologist, the author was engaged in investigating early diagnosis and treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke, and the parameters of brain ECS was firstly derived and demonstrated during the study of the permeability of blood-brain barrier (BBB) and its diffusion changes in the cerebral ischemic tissue. Since then, the author and his team had been working on developing a novel measuring method of ECS: tracer-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which could measure brain ECS parameters in the whole brain scale and make the dynamic drainage process of the labelled brain interstitial fluid (ISF) visualized. By using the new method, the team made a series of new findings about the brain ECS and ISF, including the discovery of a new division system in the brain, named regionalized ISF drainage system. We found that the ISF drainage in the deep brain was regionalized and the structural and functional parameters in different interstitial system (ISS) divisions were disparate. The ISF in the caudate nucleus could be drained to ipsilateral cortex and finally into the subarachnoid space, which maintained the pathway of ISF-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exchange. However, the ISF in the thalamus was eliminated locally in its anatomical division. After verifying the nature of the barrier structure between different drainage divisions, the author proposed the hypothesis of "regionalized brain homeostasis". Thus, we demonstrated that the brain was protected not only by the BBB, which avoided potential exogenous damage through the vascular system, but was also protected by an internal ISF drainage barrier to avoid potentially harmful interference from other ECS divisions in the deep brain. With the new findings and the proposed hypothesis, an innovative therapeutic method for the treatment of encephalopathy with local drug delivery via the brain ECS pathway was established. By using this new administration method, the drug was achieved directly to the space around neurons or target regions, overwhelming the impendence from the blood-brain barrier, thus solved the obstacles of low efficiency in traditional drug investigation. At present, new methods and discoveries developed by the author and his team have been widely applied in several frontier fields including neuroscience, new drug research and development, neurodevelopment aerospace medicine, clinical encephalopathy treatment,new neural network modeling and so on.
Brain ; Caudate Nucleus ; Extracellular Fluid ; Extracellular Space ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

We studied 25 cases of clinically diagnosed erythema dyschrornicum perstans (EDP) who were seen in our clinic within 11-year period, from 1975 through 1985, and compared light and electron microscopic findings, and direct immunoflunrescence findings. The results are summarized as follows: 1. There were 16 males(64%) and 9 females(36%). The peak age incidence was in the second decade. 2. The mean age of onset was 18 years(M: 16. 6, F: 19. 4) and the rnean duration was 1.8 years(M: 2.6, F: 1.0). 3. The annual incidence increased from 1981 and was peaked in 1985. 4. The most commonly involvement site was the trunk(92%), the least common involvement(4%) was one of the face, neck, and shoulder combined. 5. The histopathologic findings in most patients shows focal vacuolization of the basal cell layer, pigment incontinence, dermal melanophages. 6. Electron microscopic findings of five patients consist of vauoles with abundant melanosomes in the basal cells, widened intercellular spaces and dermal melanophages.
Age of Onset ; Erythema* ; Extracellular Space ; Humans ; Incidence ; Melanosomes ; Neck ; Shoulder

This experiment developed the methodology of double staining for senescence associated-beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-gal) activity and keratin 10 (K10) or involucrin. To prove the usefulness of the double staining, the author investigated the relationship between senescence and differentiation in monolayer and organotypic cultured keratinocytes. The results were as follows: K10 and involcrin together with SA-beta-gal were doubly stained in most of monolayer cultured keratinocyte. This fact indicated that the senescence and differentiation had simultaneously occurred in the same keratinocyte. In spite of the advantages to preserving structures, the paraffin specimen was not suitable for double staining because of the limitation of SA-beta-gal reactivity. Although the cryosectioned specimen did not have the morphology as good as the paraffin specimen, it was suitable for double staining due to the goodness of SA-beta-gal reactivity. Double staining well reflected the disturbances of senescence and differentiation which could be caused by deranged organizations of the organotypic cultured skin. The organotypic cultured skin which showed deranged organizations such as stratified basal layer, no typical cell features in each epdermal layer, and wide intercellular spaces had SA-beta-gal activity in epidermis and K10 or involucrin reaction in basal cell. But the skin which showed well arranged organizations resembling in vivo skin had no SA-beta-gal activity and no K10 or involucrin reaction in basal cells. In conclusion, it might be suggested that the double staining for SA-beta-gal activity and K10 or involucrin could be used for detecting the extent of senescence and differentiation in the same cell.
Aging* ; Epidermis ; Extracellular Space ; Keratin-10* ; Keratinocytes* ; Paraffin ; Skin

In the present study, patients were traumatized with muscle-crushing injuries, or they were non-traumstized. The plasma concentration of potassium and sodium were measured before the induction of anesthesia and at selected intervals after the administration of succinylcholine(SCC) in some patients were inhaled the beta2-agonist, salbutamol (about 800 ug) via an endotracheal tube and in the others were not given it. There was no significant difference in the base lines of potassium and sodium between the traumatized and nontraumatized patients. Salbutamol diminished the rise of potassium(-0.30 to 0.09 mEq/L) but did not affect the plasma sodium level. There was no significant side-effect of this agent, but sinus tachycardia was the only thing noted. These results are consistent with the proposed mechanism that the decrease in serum potassium due to salbutamol is most likely a shift of potassium ions from the extracellular space to the intracellular space. Inhalation of salbutamol may be a useful method for the prevention of SCC induced hyperkalemia without any serious side-effect in patients with preexisting hyperkalemia properties who have gone through traums.
Albuterol* ; Anesthesia ; Extracellular Space ; Humans ; Hyperkalemia* ; Inhalation ; Intracellular Space ; Ions ; Plasma ; Potassium ; Sodium ; Succinylcholine* ; Tachycardia, Sinus

Qi, blood and the meridians are fundamental concepts in Chinese medicine (CM), which are components of the human body and maintain physiological function. Pathological changes of qi, blood and meridians may lead to discomfort and disease. Treatment with acupuncture or herbal medicine aims to regulate qi and blood so as to recover normal function of the meridians. This paper explores the nature of qi as well as compares and correlates them with the structures of the human body. We propose a conceptualization of qi as being similar to the interstitial fluid, and the meridians as being similar to interstitial space of low hydraulic resistance in the body. Hence, qi running in the meridians can be understood as interstitial fluid flowing via interstitial space of low hydraulic resistance.
Acupuncture Points ; Connective Tissue ; physiology ; Extracellular Fluid ; physiology ; Extracellular Space ; physiology ; Humans ; Meridians ; Qi ; Water

Barium carbonate is commonly used rodenticidally and industrially, but intoxication has been uncommonly reported. Muscle weakness and hypokalemia are the characteristic features of barium carbonate intoxication. Barium-induced hypokalemia is due to a rapid and large transfer of potassium from the extracellular space into the intracellular space resulting from blocking potassium channels by barium ions. We report 35 cases of barium carbonate intoxication which developed after accidental ingestion of barium poisoned noodle. All patients developed severe hypokalemic paralysis and some degree of vomiting and diarrhea. We managed these patients with aggressive potassium supplementation and all patients were discharged without any sequelae.
Barium* ; Carbon* ; Diarrhea ; Eating ; Extracellular Space ; Humans ; Hypokalemia* ; Intracellular Space ; Ions ; Muscle Weakness ; Paralysis ; Potassium ; Potassium Channels ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of companion fungus on hyphal growth and polysaccharide content of Polyporus umbellata.

METHODThe mycelia and culture filtrate of companion fungus were added to the liquid culture system, and the biomass yield and polysaccharide of P. umbellatus were measured.

RESULTMycelia and appropriate unsterilized culture filtrate of companion fungus could enhance the biomass yield of P. umbellatus significantly, while sterilized culture filtrate of companion fungus could decrease the biomass yield of P. umbellatus significantly. Either mycelia or culture filtrate of companion fungus could increase the intracellular polysaccharide content of P. umbellatus significantly. At the same time, they also could decrease extracellular polysaccharide content of P. umbellatus evidently.

CONCLUSIONThe mycelia and culture filtrate of companion fungus could be used in further fermentation of P. umbellatus.

Biomass ; Extracellular Space ; metabolism ; Hyphae ; growth & development ; Intracellular Space ; metabolism ; Polyporus ; cytology ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Polysaccharides ; metabolism ; Symbiosis

Dialysis unphysiology was first discussed by Carl Kjellstrand in 1975 for the possible negative effects of the unphysiology of intermittent dialysis treatment. Current hemodialysis practices are still unphysiologic because they cannot keep blood chemistries within normal limits, both before and after dialysis. In addition, the discontinuous nature of hemodialysis causes saw-tooth volume fluctuations, and the extracellular fluid volume expansion during the interdialytic period may lead to hypertension and adverse cardiovascular consequences. Sodium, which is accumulated over the interdialytic period, may be divided into two fractions. The one is the fraction of osmotically active sodium which is mainly confined to the extracellular space, and the other is that of water-free (osmotically inactive) sodium which diffuses into the intracellular space. Both contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension because the former may act to expand extracellular fluid volume and the latter may cause vasoconstriction in the long run by increasing cytosolic concentration of calcium in the vascular smooth muscle cells. Even in intensive hemodialysis, it may take several weeks to months for water-free sodium storage in the vascular smooth muscle cells to be relieved. This may be an explanation for the lag phenomenon, i.e., the delay of blood pressure decrease after normalization of extracellular fluid volume shown in the Tassin experience. Modest restriction of dietary sodium intake, the dialytic session length long enough to maintain a high ultrafiltration volume, and the reasonably low dialysate sodium concentration are required to avoid unphysiology of positive sodium balance in current hemodialysis practice.
Blood Pressure ; Calcium ; Cytosol ; Dialysis ; Extracellular Fluid ; Extracellular Space ; Hypertension ; Intracellular Space ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Renal Dialysis ; Sodium ; Sodium, Dietary ; Ultrafiltration ; Vasoconstriction