BACKGROUND: Recent advance in tissue engineering in the biomedical field shed light on the replacement or regeneration of various organs with synthetic substitutes. Currently emerging cartilage tissue engineering therapies involve artificial cartilage fabricated from three dimensional cultures using appro-priate scaffolds. It is mandatory to expand or proliferate the chondrocytes in vitro to prepare the artificial cartilage. The purpose of this study was to find out the most favorable culture conditions for chon-drocyte viability in vitro. METHODS: Articulr chondrocytes or cartilage explants were isolated from the patellofemoral groove of adult pigs. And then we standardized the size and thickness of the cartilage explants as well as preparing alginate-chondrocyte beads for three-dimensional cultures. The cartilage explants, including 10% fetal bovine serum for 10 days, 36 days and passage 6. Cellualr viability was measured by methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay on monolayer, alginate bead and cartilage explant. SPSS 11.5 was used for data anaylsis. RESULTS: Chondrocytes cultured on monolayers in vitro showed no significant difference in cellular viability until passage 6 following isolation from the patellofemoral groove of adult pigs (P>0.05, n=4). Chondrocyte viability was markedly increased by day 16 both in the monolayer (148%) and three dimensional cultures (245%), and then slightly decreased 126% and 200%, respectively, at day 36. Three dimensional cultures using alginate bead were more favorable for chodrocyte viability than monolayer culture in chondrocyte primary culture (P=0.003, n=6). Chondrocyte viability in the algi-nate bead was increased 300% during 36 days' incubation period (P=0.001, n=3). Cellular viability in the cartilage explant culture was decreased after day 4 in both MTT score (P=0.022, n=10) and MTT OD (P=0.039, n=10). CONCLUSIONS: Three dimensional cultures using alginate bead were the most favorable for chon-drocyte viability in chondrocyte primary cultures.
Adult ; Cartilage ; Cartilage, Articular* ; Chondrocytes* ; Humans ; Regeneration ; Swine ; Tissue Engineering

Although cases of von Hippel-Lindau syndrome are not rare, the fact that hemangioblastomans can occur at sites in the nervous system other than the cerebellum is not appreciated. We are reporting a case of VHL complex in 23-year-old male. In this case, there were multiple cerebellar hemangioblastomas, retinal angiomas, multiple spinal hemangioblastomas, syringomyelia, and papillary cystadenoma of epididymis. There was no evidence of polycythe mia or abnormality of other organs. Large cystic cerebellar hemangioblastomas were removed surgically and papillary cystadenoma of epididymis were excised, too. Total laminectomy of T2, T3 and T4 revealed abnormal meningeal varicosities, enlarged spinal cord, inra-axial hemangioblastomas, and syringomyelia.
Cerebellum ; Cystadenoma, Papillary ; Epididymis ; Hemangioblastoma ; Hemangioma ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Male ; Nervous System ; Retinaldehyde ; Spinal Cord ; Syringomyelia ; von Hippel-Lindau Disease ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Descending thoracic aortomyoplasty (DTA) is a simple surgical procedure designed to use patient's own skeletal muscle based on the principle of aortic counterpulsation. Clinical application is limited. We have investigated the acute effect of DTA depending on the surgical configurations and cyclic bursts of stimulator parameter. METHODS: In 14 Mongrel dogs, the left latissimus dorsi muscle (LD) was wrapped around the descending aorta. Pacing leads were placed around the thoracodorsal nerve and sensing lead on the left ventricular apex. Cyclic burst 5-6 pulses were applied. Different surgical configurations are clockwise or counter-clockwise wrapping method of LD and whole type or band type of LD. Millar catheter and Swan-Ganz catheter were introduced to measure hemodynamics. Aorta pressure, right atrial pressure, mean aortic systolic and diastolic pressure, systolic and diastolic time, pulmonary wedge pressure, coronary perfusion pressure, endocardial viability ratio were measured in normal heart and pump failure heart. RESULTS: In normal heart, mean aortic diastolic pressure changed from 49.6+/-15.0mmHg to 55.5+/-17.1mmHg(p=0.012), endocardial viability ratio changed from 1.13+/-0.31 to 1.59+/-0.23 (p<0.001). In pump failure heart, mean aortic diastolic pressure changed from 40.0+/-12.8mmHg to 43.2+/-11.2mmHg(p=0.018), endocardial viability ratio changed from 0.69+/-0.22 to 1.01+/-0.40 (p=0.018). In clockwise configuration, mean aortic diastolic pressure changed from 50.3+/-14.0mmHg to 56.9+/-14.8mmHg(p=0.004). In whole type configuration, mean aortic diastolic pressure changed from 49.814.6mmHg to 57.1+/-15.6mmHg(p=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Train stimulation of 5-6 pulses and surgical configurations of clockwise rotation with whole LD type play a role to maximize acute effect of DTA.
Animals ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Atrial Pressure ; Blood Pressure ; Catheters ; Counterpulsation ; Dogs ; Heart ; Heart Failure ; Hemodynamics ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Perfusion ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Superficial Back Muscles

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the various causes of male infertility using multiple approaches. METHODS: Nine-hundred-twenty infertile male patients were analyzed at their first visit with one physician between January 1 and December 31, 2009. All patients were subjected to physical examination, semen analysis and azoospermic patients underwent hormonal testing, chromosomal tests, and testicular biopsy. Semen analysis was based on the definition of the World Health Organization. RESULTS: Among the 920 patients, 555 patients (60.3%) had semen results within the normal range, 269 patients (29.2%) within the abnormal range, and 96 (10.5%) were diagnosed with azoospermia. Varicoceles were diagnosed in 84 of the 555 normal-range patients (15.1%) and in 113 of the 269 abnormal-range patients (42.0%). Of the 96 patients with azoospermia, 24 patients (25%) were diagnosed with obstructive azoospermia, 68 patients (71%) with non-obstructive azoospermia, and 4 patients (4%) with retrograde ejaculation. CONCLUSION: Various causes of male infertility have been reported and diverse treatment methods can be adopted for each cause. In this regard, research must be conducted on a larger number of patients to accurately assess the various causes of infertility in Korean patients and to investigate various infertility treatment methods.
Azoospermia ; Biopsy ; Humans ; Infertility ; Infertility, Male ; Korea ; Male ; Physical Examination ; Reference Values ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Varicocele ; World Health ; World Health Organization

PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate early parenchymal changes of acute cerebral ischemia / infarct by using T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and calculated apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The brain MR images were successfully obtained 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes after intraarterial administration of Lipiodol (0.4 - 0.6 ml) into the common carotid artery in 10 of 11 cats (91%). T2-and diffusion-weighted images and ADC were analyzed and compared with histopathologic findings. RESULTS: High signal intensity on T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted images was found in one cerebral hemisphere 30 minutes after Lipiodol injection, which tended to increase with time until 3 hours. Subcortical white matter showed higher signal intensity than cortical gray matter since 30 minutes after embolization. ADC images showed decreased signal intensity in the embolized hemisphere, which tended to decrease until 3 hours. Microscopic findings of the area corresponding to the abnormal signal intensity on MR images revealed varying degrees of edema in the gray and white matters involved. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that Lipiodol can be used as a good embolic agent causing early ischemic changes in experimental models. In addition to T2-weighted images, diffusion-weighted and ADC images can provide the further informations in the evaluation of the early parenchymal changes of cerebral infarct.
Animals ; Brain ; Brain Ischemia ; Carotid Artery, Common ; Cats* ; Cerebrum ; Diffusion ; Edema ; Ethiodized Oil* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Models, Theoretical

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) mainly results from esophageal lesions in the developed world. By contrast, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a less frequent cause of NCCP than peptic ulcer disease in China and Japan. Therefore, both esophageal lesions and stomach and duodenal lesions are likely to be important causes of NCCP in Korea. We used upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to evaluate lesions of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum in NCCP patients after cardiac chest pain was ruled out by coronary angiography (CAG). METHODS: From the patients who underwent CAG between 2004 and 2008, we identified 89 patients who had normal CAG or minimal disease. We retrospectively analyzed the endoscopic findings of these 89 patients who were diagnosed with NCCP. RESULTS: At endoscopy for the 89 patients, the percentages of GERD, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer were 20.2% (n=18), 14.6% (n=13), and 3.3% (n=3) respectively. Of the 16 cases diagnosed as peptic ulcer, 11 were evaluated by biopsy or the Campylobacter-like organism (CLO) test for suspected Helicobacter pylori infection. Six (54%) cases were positive for H. pylori and five (46%) were negative. CONCLUSIONS: In Korea, the incidence of peptic ulcer disease (17.9%) as a cause of NCCP is similar to that of GERD (20.2%). Consequently, we should perform endoscopy to determine the cause of NCCP.
Biopsy ; Chest Pain ; China ; Coronary Angiography ; Duodenal Ulcer ; Duodenum ; Endoscopy ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Esophagus ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Helicobacter pylori ; Humans ; Incidence ; Japan ; Korea ; Peptic Ulcer ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach ; Stomach Ulcer ; Thorax

Depression is common in the patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Estimates of the prevalence of depression in the patients with RA have ranged from 14 to 46%, depending on the criteria used and the patient subgroups studied. Our objectives were to show how frequently depression occur among patients with RA, to compare depression in RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients, and to identify the disease and sociodemographic variables with which depression are associated. Subjects included in this study were 119 RA patients, and 140 OA patients. The Korean version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess depression. The Korean health assessment questionnaire (KHAQ) was used to assess physical function in patients with RA. The associations of sociodemographic variables, disability, severity and other variables with CES-D score were evaluated by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: When CES-D cut-off score of 25 was used, 54 (50.9%) of 106 RA patients, and 32(23.5%) of 122 OA patients had scores suggestive of depression, and the difference was still significant after adjusting age, sex, disease duration, pain scale and fatigue scale (p<0.05). RA patients had higher mean scores on CES-D than OA patients after adjusting above variables, too (p<0.05). The bivariate analysis showed that age, sex, education level, fatigue scale, pain scale, KHAQ-disability score, WBC, ESR were significantly associated with CES-D scores in RA patients; and the duration of disease, pain scale and fatigue scale were associated with those in OA patients (p<0.05). By stepwise selection in multiple logistic regression model, the age, pain scale and KHAQ-disability score were selected as significant independent variables in RA patients. In OA patients, the duration of disease and pain scale were selected as significant independent variables. CONCLUSION: RA patients are significantly more depressed than OA patients, and the associated factors with depression are patient? age, pain scale and KHAQ disability score in RA.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Depression* ; Education ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Osteoarthritis ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires