Diabetic complications such as cystopathy and retrograde ejaculation are slowly progressive disease without any specific signs and symptoms so it is difficult to diagnose its complication and prevent it. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy is known as a neurologic lesion with combined involvement in cardiovascular and genitourinary systems. The purpose of this study is to assess correlation between diabetic cystopathy and heart rate variation on consecutive EKG waves and to detect early cystopathy in patients with decreased heart rate variation. We have studied 12 cases of diabetic cystopathy and 9 cases of retrograde ejaculation who were managed in Seoul Eulji Hospital from Mar. 1992 to Aug. 1993 and concluded as follows. Diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy shows decreased heart rate variability(HRV) (CV%: 2.16+/-0.97) than diabetic patients without autonomic neuropathy (CV%: 3.29+/-0.58, P <0.0001 ), it means that decreased HRV on consecutive EKG waves well correlates to diabetic autonomic neuropathy such as cystopathy and retrograde ejaculation so we think that the measurement of HRV provides a simple test to be concerned urologic complications such as cystopathy or retrograde ejaculation.
Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Ejaculation ; Electrocardiography* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Male ; Seoul ; Urogenital System

Here we report a case in a 41-year-old woman histologically proven cystic embryonal sarcoma of the kidney, with emphasis on the imaging findings and pathological features. A large lobulated solid mass in the cystically dilated pelvocalyceal region was accompanied with hydroureter as depicted on both ultrasound and contrast-enhanced CT images.
Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods ; Kidney/radiography/surgery/ultrasonography ; Kidney Neoplasms/*radiography/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/*radiography/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Sarcoma/*radiography/surgery/*ultrasonography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods

BACKGROUND: Although significant progress has been made in the surgical treatment of esophageal carcinoma as well as in the detection of early stage esophageal carcinoma by diagnostic techniques, the prognosis of the esophageal carcinoma patients remain poor. The p53 gene product is known to regulate cell growth and proliferation. And the nm23 gene was identified originally as an anti-metastatic influence whose expression was correlated inversely with tumor metastatic potential in murine melanoma cell lines. This experiment was intended to know the relationship among the p53 and nm23 gene expression versus clinicopahologic characteristics of the esophageal cancer. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Total 40 cases were collected from patients who had undergone esophagectomy at St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic university of Korea. Immunohistochemical stain for p53 mutant-type protein and nm23 proein was graded as <10% positive tumor cells: negative; 10~30% positive tumor cells: + ; 30 ~50% positive tumor cells: ++ , and >50% positive tumor cells: +++ . The tumor invasion was grades as none: - ; mild: + ; moderate: ++ ; severe: +++ . RESULT: Overexpression of p53 protein and nm23 was not associated with the survival and cliniocopathologic characteristics of the esophageal cancer. Moreover, the combination analysis of p53 and nm23 revealed that there was no relationship between the gene expression and the clinicopatholic characteristics of the esophageal cancer.
Cell Line ; Esophageal Neoplasms* ; Esophagectomy ; Gene Expression* ; Genes, p53* ; Humans ; Korea ; Melanoma ; Oncogene Proteins ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl (·OH), nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is reported to induce oxidative stress. ROS generated by oxidative stress can potentially damage glial cells in the nervous system. Cordyceps militaris (CM), a kind of natural herb widely found in East Asia. In this study, we investigated the free radical scavenging activity of the CM extract and its neuroprotective effects in H2O2-induced C6 glial cells. MATERIALS/METHODS: The ethanol extract of CM (100–1,000 µg/mL) was used to measure DPPH, ·OH, and NO radical scavenging activities. In addition, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced C6 glial cells were treated with CM at 0.5–2.5 µg/mL for measurement of cell viability, ROS production, and protein expression resulting from oxidative stress. RESULTS: The CM extract showed high scavenging activities against DPPH, ·OH, and NO radicals at concentration of 1,000 µg/mL. Treatment of CM with H2O2-induced oxidative stress in C6 glial cells significantly increased cell viability, and decreased ROS production. Cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression was down-regulated in CM-treated groups. In addition, the protein expression level of phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK), phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), and phospho-extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK) in H2O2-induced C6 glial cells was down-regulated upon CM administration. CONCLUSION: CM exhibited radical scavenging activity and protective effect against H2O2 as indicated by the increased cell viability, decreased ROS production, down-regulation of inflammation-related proteins as well as p-p38, p-JNK, and p-ERK protein levels. Therefore, we suggest that CM could play the protective role from oxidative stress in glial cells.
Cell Survival ; Cordyceps ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Down-Regulation ; Ethanol ; Far East ; Free Radicals ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; Hydrogen ; In Vitro Techniques ; Nervous System ; Neuroglia ; Neuroprotective Agents ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Oxidative Stress ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein Kinases ; Reactive Oxygen Species

Background: The Omicron variant has become the most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variant. Omicron is known to induce milder lesions compared to the original Wuhan strain. Fatal infection of the Wuhan strain into the brain has been well documented in COVID-19 mouse models and human COVID-19 cases, but apparent infections into the brain by Omicron have not been reported in human adult cases or animal models. In this study, we investigated whether Omicron could spread to the brain using K18-hACE2 mice susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: K18-hACE2 mice were intranasally infected with 1 × 105 PFU of the original Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. A follow-up was conducted 7 days post infection. All Wuhan-infected mice showed > 20% body weight loss, defined as the lethal condition, whereas two out of five Omicron-infected mice (40%) lost > 20% body weight. Histopathological analysis based on H&E staining revealed inflammatory responses in the brains of these two Omicron-infected mice. Immunostaining analysis of viral nucleocapsid protein revealed severe infection of neuron cells in the brains of these two Omicron-infected mice. Lymphoid depletion and apoptosis were observed in the spleen of Omicron-infected mice with brain infection. Conclusion Lethal conditions, such as severe body weight loss and encephalopathy, can occur in Omicron-infected K18-hACE2 mice. Our study reports, for the first time, that Omicron can induce brain infection with lymphoid depletion in the mouse COVID-19 model.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The traditional Korean diet is plant-based and rich in antioxidants. Previous studies have investigated the potential health benefits of individual nutrients of Korean foods. However, the cumulative effects of a Korean diet on inflammation remain poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of a plant-based Korean diet. MATERIALS/METHODS: Using data from the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 75 individual plant food items were selected which represent over 1% of the total diet intake of the Korean diet. These items were classified into ten different food groups, and the vegetable (Veg) and fruit (Fruit) groups were studied based on their high antioxidant capacity. For comparison, a mixture of all ten groups (Mix) was prepared. To produce a model of inflammation with which to test these Veg, Fruit, and Mix plant-based Korean food extracts (PKE), RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). RESULTS: Levels of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), as well as protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were found to be lower following PKE treatment. Furthermore, PKE treatment was found to suppress tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) via the nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-kappaB) signaling pathway. Overall, the Mix group exhibited the greatest anti-inflammatory effects compared with Veg and Fruit PKE group. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibition of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators by the PKE tested was found to involve an inhibition of NF-kB activation. Moreover, PKE tested have the potential to ameliorate various inflammation-related diseases by limiting the excessive production of pro-inflammatory mediators.
Antioxidants ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; Diet ; Dinoprostone ; Fruit ; Inflammation ; Insurance Benefits ; Interleukin-6 ; Macrophages ; NF-kappa B ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Nutrition Surveys ; Plants ; Transcription Factors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Vegetables