The development of intestine can be characterized by the following two traits. First, at the beginning of its development, the intestine is temporarily herniated into the umbilical cord, then reduced into the abdominal cavity, and finally reaches its adult location, rotating along the way. Nevertheless, no time table is yet available as to show, in a precise manner, when the intestine is herniated, when it is reduced, or to what extent the rotation occurs. Secondly, it is known that in the course of intestinal development, the lumen is temporarily obstructed by epithelial proliferation and then undergoes the recanalization. However, it is not yet certain whether there is practically a complete luminal obstruction, even by supposing that there is a complete obstruction, no theory has yet been established to determine the time, location, or the extent of the obstruction, and the time of the recanalization. In this study, 2 ~12 week old human embryos and fetuses have been used which were microdissected under a surgical microscope and were subsequently observed in an ordinary tissue slide. We have obtained the following results. 1. The intestine was first formed at Carnegie stage 5. Together with the folds of the embryos, three parts of the primitive gut were observed for the first time at stage 10. At stage 12, the primitive gut was located on the midline. 2. At stage 15, the intestine rotated to 90 counterclockwise, and at the next stage, it started herniation. There was another 90 counterclockwise rotation at stage 20, and at the beginning of the 9th week, with the rapid reduction into the abdominal cavity, the cecum was located in the proper adult position, and the rotation completed. 3. Although epithelial proliferation was recognizable in the esophagus, duodenum and other parts of the intestine of the developing embryo, we could not find any cases in which the lumen was completely obstructed.
Abdominal Cavity ; Adult ; Cecum ; Duodenum ; Embryonic Structures* ; Esophagus ; Fetus* ; Gastrula ; Humans* ; Intestines ; Phenobarbital* ; Umbilical Cord

Tailgut cysts are rare congenital lesions thought to arise from vestiges of the tailgut/postanal gut, which is a primitive gut temporarily present at the most caudal portion of the embryo. The lesions are usually multilocular cysts lined by various types of epithelium in the retrorectal space. We experienced a tailgut cyst in an 18-day-old girl initially presented as an epidermoid cyst like skin lesion in the coccygeal region. MRI showed a well-defined multiloculated cystic mass between the rectum and coccyx, measuring 12x23 mm and markedly hyperintense on T2 weighted images and hypointense on T1-weighted images. The cyst was surgically removed via a posterior sagittal approach and microscopically lined by ciliated columnar, transitional and squamous cells. Tailgut cysts are usually found in adult females, and extremely rarely in neonates. We report a tailgut cyst in a neonate with a review of the literature.
Adult ; Coccyx ; Embryonic Structures ; Epidermal Cyst ; Epithelium ; Female ; Gastrula ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Rectum ; Sacrococcygeal Region ; Skin

The use of intravitreal corticosteroids in the management of endophthalmitis remains controversial. This study was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of dexamethasone(DXM) in Candida endophthalmitis. In rabbits, Candida albicans(3,000 blastospore: Group A, 30,000 blastopore: Group B) was inoculated intrabitreally. At 24, 48, and 72 hours postinoculation, single intravitreal dose of amphotericin B(AMP, 5microgram/0.1ml) with DXM(400microgram/0.1ml) or AMP alone was given. Clinical examination, protein analysis, electrophysiological and histopathologic measures were utilized to rate DXM effectiveness. Dosage of 5microgram AMP resulted in no culture in both Group A and B, On examinations including the electrophysiologic and histopathologic studies, eyes treated with AMP and DXM did not differ from eyes treated with AMP alone in the Group A(p>0.05). On protein analysis for vitreous in the Group B, however, eyes treated with AMP alone at 24 and 48 hours postinoculation(p<0.05). On electrophysiologic study the decrease rate of the amplitude showed the difference between at 24 hours postinoculation and at 48 or 72 hours postinoculation(p<0.05). Histologic preparations showed a mild or moderate cellular infilteration in the vitreous and swelling in the sensory retina, but small abscess in the vitreous observed when treatment was delayed more than 72 hours following inoculation in both Group A and B. DXM in the experimental Candida endophthalmitis had the beneficial effect in eyes with 30,000 blastspore inoculation and in eyes treated with AMP and DXM at 24 hours postinoculation.
Abscess ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Amphotericin B ; Candida* ; Dexamethasone* ; Endophthalmitis* ; Gastrula ; Intravitreal Injections ; Rabbits ; Retina

Retinoic acid(RA), formed in vivo by oxidation of retinol, is known as morphogenic signal. RA plays an active role in normal embryonic development at physiological concentration, but excess RA can be a powerful teratogen in human and animals. The present study was designed to examine the direct effect of RA on murine embryogenesis(gastrulation) and to define the specific development processes perturbed by RA. Five to fifteen blastocysts were randomly assigned to separate culture dishes of the experimental group. Various concentrations of RA(10(-9) M, 10(-7) M, and 10(-5) M) were used in culturing blastocysts. In the effect of RA on the normal grouwth of embryo, the rates of development to the stages of attachment, early egg cylinder(EEC), late egg cylinder(LEC), and early somite(ES)were significantly(p < 0.01) decreased as the RA concentration increased. Stil in the yolk sac formation rate, there was a significant, dose-dependent difference(p < 0.01) according to the RA concentration. In the degeneration of embryos by RA, the effect was more apparent as the concentration of Ra increased. The production rates of embryos devoid of egg cylinder region and embryos with abnormal egg cylinder region were increased (p < 0.01)in a dose-dependent manner according to RA concentration. In conclusion, RA probably act as teratogen at gastrula stage embryos in high concentration and effect of teratogenesis is dose-dependent.
Animals ; Blastocyst ; Embryonic Development ; Embryonic Structures ; Female ; Gastrula ; Gastrulation* ; Humans ; Mice* ; Ovum ; Pregnancy ; Teratogenesis ; Tretinoin* ; Vitamin A ; Yolk Sac

BACKGROUND: The umbilicus is a simple scar that obliterates the portal through which the omphalomesenteric duct connected the primitive gut to the yolk sac; through which the intestine was expelled prior to its rotation; through which passed the umbilical arteries and vein; at which the allantosis attached to the early urinary bladder; and at which the umbilical cord that carried these structures was fused to the body wall. The umbilicus is situated at the level of L3 to L4 in the midline of the abdomen. It's shape, size, and configuration vary greatly related to age and sex. Deramtoses of the umbilicus are umbilical hernia, congenital abnormalities, granulomas, omphalith, infections, eczema and tumors. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the umbilical shape and size related to age and sex and diseases of the umbilicus. METHODS: During a 6-month-period from May to October, 1998, 420 person's umbilical shapes and size were examined with regard to age and sex. The diseases of the umbilicus were evaluated, too. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS: 1. The mean vertical diameter of the umbilicus is 1.89+/-0.65cm and the mean transverse diameter is 1.98+/-0.86cm. The mean diameter of umbilicus in women(vertical: 1.98+/-0.73cm, transverse: 2.07+/-0.99cm) is larger than the mean diameter of umbilicus in men(vertical: 1.80+-0.53cm, transverse: 1.89+/-0.66cm)(p<0.05). 2. The vertical diameter of umbilicus in both sexes showed increasing aspect until the 30-39 year old group, and the transverse diameter of umbilicus in both sexes showed increasing aspect until the 40-49 year old group. 3. The shapes of umbilicus were divided into the protruded type and the depressed type. Most of our cases showed the depressed type. The protruded types were more in the 0-9 year old group(23%) than other year old groups. The shapes of umbilicus were divided into the round type and the elliptical type, too. The elliptical type(transverse diameter>vertical diameter) is more than the elliptical type(vertical diameter>transverse diameter) in men, and the elliptical type(vertical diameter>transverse diameter) is more than the elliptical type(transverse diameter>vertical diameter) in women. 4. The diseases of the umbilicus are allergic contact dermatitis(6 cases), pityriasis rosea(5 cases), psoriasis(3 cases), scabies(3 cases), rhus dermatitis(2 cases), pemphigus(2 cases), drug eruption(1 case), and insect bite(1 case).
Abdomen ; Cicatrix ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Eczema ; Female ; Gastrula ; Granuloma ; Hernia, Umbilical ; Humans ; Insects ; Intestines ; Male ; Pityriasis ; Rhus ; Umbilical Arteries ; Umbilical Cord ; Umbilicus ; Urinary Bladder ; Veins ; Vitelline Duct ; Yolk Sac

The distribution of transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in developing mouse embryos of gestational age 8 to 15 days was immunohistochemically (ABC method) studied to investigate the differential expression of these growth factors. Paraffin embedded sections were immunostained with antibodies for TGF-α and EGF. Staining of TGF-α was observed in several organs derived from endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm in 9-day-old mouse embryos, such as in the heart, optic pit, head mesenchyme, neural tube and primitive gut, and the staining became more intense in 10 to 15-day-old mouse embryos. The staining of EGF was seen in the heart and primitive gut derived from mesoderm and ectoderm respectively, in 9-day-old mouse embryos, but it was observed in other organs as well in 10 to 15-day-old embryos although the intensity was weaker. In the development of heart, immunoreactivity for TGF-α was more intense than EGF, which suggests more active involvement of TGF-α. In the lung, TGF-α staining was observed both in the bronchus and lung bud, whereas EGF staining was seen only the bronchus. In the nervous system, TGF-α was expressed more extensively and more intensively than EGF. In the developing skeletal system, TGF-α staining was stronger and the expression was observed at earlier stage compared with EGF. These results indicate that the activity of TGF-α is more potent than EGF in the development of mouse embryo in general, especially, in the development of mouse heart, nervous system, mesenchyme and skeletal system.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Bronchi ; Ectoderm ; Embryonic Structures* ; Endoderm ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Gastrula ; Gestational Age ; Head ; Heart ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Lung ; Mesoderm ; Mice* ; Nervous System ; Neural Tube ; Paraffin

PURPOSE: Extrahepatic biliary atresia is the most common indication for liver transplantation in children, but the etiology of this disorders remains unknown. It would be very signficant to identify genes that are specifically expressed in pathologic liver tissue of biliary atresia and analyze the pattern of expression in those genes. METHODS: We made dot blot panels consisting of 1,730 different EST (expressed sequence tags) clones which were isolated from human hair dermal papilla cell cDNA library. Liver tissues were taken from a recipient with biliary atresia and a normal donor during living-related liver transplantation. Total RNA was extracted from each sample and reversely transcribed to make cDNA. Then radiolabelled cDNA probe pools were made by random primed DNA labeling method and used for screening differentially expressed genes using EST dot blot panel. RESULTS: Among the total of 1,730 EST clones, 26 cDNA clones were overexpressed in biliary cirrhosis. They revealed homology to genes encoding bcl-w, laminin binding protein, hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate (HRS), thymosin beta-4, 10; transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, signal recognition particle (SRP)4, eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF)-2alpha kinase, lysyl oxidase, aldolase A, gamma-glutamylcystein synthetase, collagen type I alpha1, 2, collagen type III, fibronectin, osteonectin, insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-2, 3, and more. In addition, the expression of 2 clones showed that gastrula zinc finger protein and one novel gene were decreased in biliary atresia. CONCLUSOIN: This study identified differentially expressed genes in biliary cirrhosis from progressive biliary atresia using differential EST screening technique.
Biliary Atresia* ; Carrier Proteins ; Child ; Clone Cells ; Collagen Type I ; Collagen Type III ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Fibronectins ; Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase ; Gastrula ; Gene Expression* ; Gene Library ; Hair ; Hepatocytes ; Humans ; Laminin ; Ligases ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary* ; Liver Transplantation ; Mass Screening* ; Osteonectin ; Peptide Initiation Factors ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein-Lysine 6-Oxidase ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; RNA ; Signal Recognition Particle ; Thymosin ; Tissue Donors ; Transforming Growth Factors ; Zinc Fingers